LAS VEGAS - Thousands of people are expected to attend the Black History Month Festival at Springs Preserve this weekend. The annual event draws big names, delicious food, great entertainment and inspiring stories.
It's a party with strong undertones of struggle and success. Ancestors of Black Americans have faced adversity in this country, including in the Las Vegas valley.
Guest speakers will tell of the struggles of their ancestors in the days before the Civil Rights Movement.
"The changes that the Las Vegas community has gone through are great and vast," said Black History Month Festival Master of Ceremonies Corey Enus. "A lot of people don't necessarily know that the Strip was at one time segregated or that African Americans who worked at the Strip or entertained on the Strip couldn't also patronize those same hotels."
Hip hop/jazz violinist Brandon Summers, who was a big hit at last year's festival, will be among the entertainers at the event. Comedian George Wallace and the widow of "Roots" author Alex Haley will also be present.
The Culinary Academy will serve amazing food, including southern mainstays chicken and waffles, gumbo, and po' boy sandwiches.
The event is Saturday, February 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children.
