Greene County Democrat

Tag: Black Belt Folk Roots Festival

  • BBCF awards $60,000 in grants to Arts Programs throughout 12 Black Belt counties

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    L to R: Rev. Christopher Spencer, Vassie Welbeck-Browne, Johnnie M. Knott, Mary Beck, Darlene Robinson, Felicia Lucky.
     Woman-To-Woman , Inc. recieved a $10,000 grant to support the project, “Pathway to Nurturing, Strengthening and Changing.”   Greene County youth will use drama, dance and poetry to increase academic achievement, improve self-esteem, and develop communication skills.  Through this project, students will use several art disciplines to improve academics and creativity by working with community partners and professional artists.

    Greene Co. Art Grantees-Greene Co. Alumnae

    L to R:  Felicia Lucky, Rev. Christopher Spencer Andrea  Perry, Darlene Robinson and Braxton Carlilse. Greene County Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta:  $2,000 to support the DST Café project which will expose the community to a combination of arts by presenting creative expressions in  performing, visual and literary arts.

    Greene Co.-Society of Arts & Culture

    L to R: Rev. Christopher Spencer, Felicia Lucky, Debra Eatman and Darlene Robinson. Society of Folk Arts and Culture:  $3,000 to support the 41st Black Belt Folk Roots Festival which celebrates the culture, traditions and folkways of the West Alabama Region.

     

     

    •Greene County
    receives $15,000
    in grant awards

    The Black Belt Community Foundation, located in Selma, Al, awarded $60,000 in grants to fund programs throughout 12 counties located in the Black Belt Region to bolster efforts in the art programs.  The awards were presented in a ceremony at the Hank Sanders Technology Center, Wallace Community College, Selma, AL, on Saturday, June 18, 2016, to recipients who gathered for a day of celebration and fellowship.  Greene County received $5,000 in arts grant support for art related programs and a $10,000 Arts Education Grant.  The total of grant awards for Greene County was $15,000.  “The Black Belt Community Foundation has awarded nearly $3.2 million in grants to our 12 counties since 2005,” said Felecia Lucky, President of the BBCF.  It is gratifying to see the organizations and community leaders who work hard every day to transform our region through the arts gather together and attend the ceremony, which is a vibrant celebration of our mission.”
    This past April, community led organizations located in Bullock, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, and Wilcox counties were welcomed to apply for grants to support the arts.  The BBCF awarded $60,000 in grants  to arts initiative project.

  • Bessie Underwood brings skilled handcrafts to Black Belt Folk Roots Festival

    By Mynecia Steele

    Bessie
    Ms. Bessie Underwood of Mantua often participates in the annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival. Although, she does not visit yearly, the community recognizes her for the skilled handcrafts she brings to the festival.
    Underwood says that she visits the festival as often as possible.  She works on her projects and crafts year round. This allows her to have a variety of items available when the festival comes around. Her handcrafts include, but are not limited to, crocheted scarves, afghans, throws and wreaths. Underwood also makes specialty crafts, at request, such as Alabama and Auburn football themed blankets.
    Underwood says that she often sells her pieces for much less than they are worth.  Considering the money, time and hard work that Underwood invests in her projects, not to mention that quality of the products, she practically gives away her crafts just to see the joy they bring to others.
    She says that she comes up with designs for her projects in her mind. She only learned to read crochet patterns about five years ago, but she learned to crochet long before then. Her first grade teacher, Mrs. Billups, taught her to crochet. Over the years crocheting has become second nature to her. “Sometimes I wake up at night because the Lord has put a design on my heart, and I just have to get up and make it,” said Underwood.
    Underwood gained an interest in selling her crafts at the festival after visiting with her neighbor, Mrs. Odessa Rice, who also participates in the festival.  While visiting, Underwood noticed the many baskets and quilts that Rice had been making.  After learning that Rice was preparing these projects for sale at the festival, Underwood thought that would be a great way for her to share her work, as well.
    Aside from selling her crafts, Underwood attends the festival to fellowship with the community, enjoy the different foods and she loves listening to the blues performances.
    Come out and support Ms. Bessie Underwood, and the many other vendors, at this year’s Black Belt Folk Roots Festival.
    This event is free and open to the public, as always. It will be held Saturday, August 27, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and the following Sunday, August 28, 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. For more information contact: Carol Zippert at 205-372-0525; email: carolxzippert@aol.com.

  • Black Belt Folk Roots Festival – August 27-28 in Eutaw Annual festival strengthens community bonds

    By: Carol Prejean Zippert

     

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    Months before the tent goes up on the old courthouse square in the center of town, inquiries have steadily poured in seeking confirmation that the annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival will fill those grounds again on the fourth Saturday and Sunday of August.
    The calls about the festival are a reminder of how the community has taken ownership of this special event. The festival dates are an automatic imprint on the minds and hearts of so many. Local groups plan class reunions, family reunions, vacation time and other summer events on the week end of the festival. The Black Belt Folk Roots Festival itself has become a grand reunion.
    In is 41st year one may ask what is still so attractive about this festival; what is so compelling about this festival?IMG_7373.JPG Is it the array of handmade crafts such as theme designed quilts, baskets of pine needles, bullrush grass and corn shucks, hand-bottomed chairs, wood carvings, leather works and uniquely deigned jewelry? Is it the aroma of the foodways expressed on the grounds calling attention to the soul food dinners, fried fish, chicken, and pork skins, a range of barbeque meats, Polish sausage and bear burgers? The attraction may also be the homemade sweet treats including cakes, pies, funnel cakes, preserved fruits, sno’ cones and homemade ice cream churned on the spot.
    Perhaps the festival crowd returns to be once more enthralled by the ole timey blues music that dominates the sounds of the festival on Saturday. The musicians sing and strum stories of struggle, hardship, loss, pain and perseverance. The ole timey gospel stage that follows at Sunday’s festival brings reassurance that a people’s strong faith, commitment and sacrifice defines how we made it over. The spirit of the gospel music brings out the church in the crowd.
    Most significant, the festival brings together people to see people, to hear people, to touch people and strengthen a community bond they already share.
    The folk artists featured at the festival include craftspersons such as Odessa Rice, Mary Hicks, Martha Kimbrough, Eloise Jeter and Meloneal Hobson.
    Blues artists who return each year include Clarence Davis, The Liberators, Little Jimmie Reed (Leon Atkins), Russell Gulley, Davey Williams and Lemon Harper and others. Sunday’s gospel music is shared by The Echo Singers, the Echo Juniors, The Webb Gospel Singers, The Golden Gates, The Mississippi Traveling Stars, Son of Zion Gospel Duo, New Generation Male Chorus, Mrs. Eddie Mae Brown and more.The two day festival, held on the old courthouse square in the center of town in Eutaw, AL, is open to the public free of charge, The 2016 schedule is Saturday, August 27 from 11:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m.; Sunday August 28 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
    The festival is produced by the Society of Folk Arts & Culture. It was started in 1975 by Jane and Hubert Sapp who were part of the Miles College Eutaw Extension Program in an effort to document, preserve and celebrate the history, culture and traditions of the region. For more information contact Carol P. Zippert at 205-372-0525; carolxzippert@aol.com