BLACK HISTORY COMES ALIVE™: A Masterpiece Concert in Living History

Come as the Ancestors.

 Come as the Icons. 

Come as the Story.

BLACK HISTORY COMES ALIVE™ is a groundbreaking Black History Month concert that turns traditional performance into a living museum of Black history. This concert invites both performers and audience members to arrive in Cultural Tribute Attire honoring Black historical figures, cultural icons, movements, and ancestral legacies. Rather than observing history from a distance, participants become history, walking, singing, dancing, and gathering as living embodiments of Black excellence across centuries and continents.

This Masterpiece Concert blends music, dance, spoken word, and visual storytelling to celebrate the breadth of the Black experience, from Africa to the Diaspora, from resistance to renaissance, from ancestral wisdom to future vision.

Cultural Tribute Attire allows participants to honor Black history with intention, transforming remembrance into a visible act of respect, education, and collective pride.

Come prepared to witness history and to stand within it.

Modest, respectful attire is welcome. Participation is encouraged, not required.

Location: P.S./I.S, 210 Twenty-First Century Academy for Community Leadership

501 West 152nd Street (on Amsterdam Ave.)

NY, NY 10031 (C Level)

Date: Sat., February 21, 2026

Time: 5 PM -9 PM

Admission: FREE

Who’s invited: This program welcomes elders, families, faith communities, artists, vendors, and youth to gather in remembrance, celebration, and unity.

Gloria Anderson as Tina Turner; Levern "The Entertainer" Williams as Nat King Cole; Gordon Gatherer as Jimi Hendrix;  Elissa of Morrisania Band as Aretha Franklin; Louise Murray as the 1st Doo-Wop Girl band; Michael Green as Martin Luther King Jr. & more.

Participants are encouraged to dress in Cultural Tribute Attire representing:

• Black historical figures (e.g., Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Nina Simone, James Baldwin, Fela Kuti, etc.)
• Cultural movements (e.g., Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, Afrofuturism, and Hip-Hop Golden Age)
• African royalty and ancestral heritage (e.g., African kings & queens, Orisa-inspired attire, and Diaspora traditions)
• Creative interpretations (e.g., Spirit of Freedom, Black Excellence, Mother Africa, and Future Ancestors)

This is not about perfection. It is about honoring a figure, a movement, or a moment in Black history.

Audience Choice Award – $300 prize

Best Group Tribute - $200 prize

Best Youth Tribute - Certificate

Best Afro-Futurist Look - $100 prize

Best Afrocentric Tribute -$100 prize

WINNERS RECEIVE:
Cash prizes, Certificates, Featured photos on NYACE website & social media, and or Gift Cards.

HONORING THE BUILDERS, HEALERS & CREATORS OF BLACK HISTORY

This marketplace is more than a place to shop; it is a living extension of Black History.

Across Africa and the African Diaspora, Black people have always been traders, artisans, healers, farmers, cooks, spiritual leaders, and entrepreneurs. Long before modern economies, our ancestors built systems of trade, medicine, beauty, food, and craftsmanship that sustained entire civilizations.

Each vendor here has been thoughtfully invited to represent a Historical Icon or Cultural Tradition.

As you explore the marketplace, we invite you to learn, engage, support Black-owned businesses, and celebrate the enduring brilliance of Black culture.

We welcome partnerships with:
Schools · Cultural organizations · Designers · Historians

Help bring history to life! Join our volunteer team. Volunteers are needed before and during the event. Click the button below to apply.

At a time when history is often questioned or erased,
BLACK HISTORY COMES ALIVE™ affirms Black presence, brilliance, and contribution, placing our heroes among us, visible, honored, and alive.

Come as the Ancestors. Come as the Icons. Come as the Story.