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Prince George's County Council hosts Black History Month program with keynote from Elder Calvert Dunn
Summary
Council Chair Crystal Bridal opened a county Black History Month program that featured student performances, an overview of CAAPA and a keynote by Elder Calvert Dunn focusing on Carter G. Woodson, the origins of Black History Month and a call for community unity and action.
Councilwoman Crystal Bridal, chair of the Prince George's County Council, opened the county's Black History Month program with welcoming remarks and a call to remember both achievements and painful chapters of history so they are not repeated. She thanked staff and local performers and introduced the event's mistress of ceremonies and speakers.
Students from the county's performing arts program and vocalists performed arrangements by Black composers; Shelley Ferguson was introduced as a coordinator and singer. The program included a performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," and performers were repeatedly praised by council leaders for their skill and local roots.
The program included a brief overview of the Coalition for African Americans in Performing Arts (CAAPA), introduced as a Maryland-based nonprofit in Fort Washington that supports emerging artists and youth programs. The council acknowledged CAAPA's executive director and thanked the organization for its role in the event.
Keynote speaker Elder Calvert Dunn, introduced as an ordained minister and executive pastor of Maple Springs Baptist Church, traced the origins of Black History Month to the work of Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Dunn led an interactive history segment, noting that Woodson launched what began as Black History Week and that the observance was nationally recognized as Black History Month in 1976. He urged attendees to treat knowledge of history as a tool for social uplift and community purpose.
Dunn tied historical episodes to recent events to underline his call to action. He referenced the lynching of Willie Earle in 1947, the 2020 global outcry after George Floyd's death, and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as moments that show both peril and the need for civic engagement. He urged the audience to adopt "CUP" ' community, unity and purpose ' and said, "we are better together," and repeatedly urged neighbors to help each other in times of crisis, saying "we're gonna dig ourselves out."
The keynote closed with a brief reading and a recommendation to consult Jarvis Givens's work on the origins of Black History. Vice Chair Eric Olsen offered closing remarks thanking organizers and performers and echoed the keynote's theme of community and unity before the program concluded.
The council indicated it would post photos from the program on the county website and encouraged continued community engagement around history and the arts. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the program; it was a ceremonial and educational event.
