The quickest way to Harlem

Calvin Orlando Smith. Photo by Wendy Gregory.

Travel back in time with the NAACP Harlem Renaissance in Blue and Gold Sept. 27 at the Hult Center. In the 1920s and ’30s, the Harlem Renaissance was a flourishing of Black voices in art, theater, music and more. Centered around the New York City neighborhood, the Renaissance gave the world Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, Zora Neale Hurston and many other important contributions to the American cultural canon. The event offers a unique opportunity to hear selections from a brand-new folk opera, York the Explorer. From creator and baritone Aaron Nigel Smith and the Portland Opera’s Jasmine Johnson, it tells the story of York, the enslaved Black man who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their travels west. Other performances include Eugene’s Calvin Orlando Smith and Nick Rieser performing jazz standards, before MC Shoehorn performs a unique piece blending saxophone and tap dance. You’ll also hear from Eugene pianist Chris Stubbs, Aimée Okotie-Oyekan reading from her recent works of poetry, and jazz bassist and former NAACP president Eric Richardson presenting a selection of works honoring Black culture and the Harlem Renaissance. After the show, Styr Kurbside Kitchen hosts the soul food speakeasy-themed Freedom Fund Dinner, with a special ticket price for both the show and food. “In these divisive times,” event-planner Irene Rasheed says, “we aim to get back to basics: using Black cultural arts to bring the Eugene-Springfield community together for a good cause.” She says that through supporting the NAACP’s human civil rights work, the event will “speak to the intentions we have here in Lane County to support a safe, connected and unified community.”

NAACP Harlem Renaissance in Blue and Gold is 4:30 pm, Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Hult Center. Tickets begin at $25, with limited $200 tickets for both dinner and the show. The event is all ages. Proceeds benefit the Eugene/Springfield NAACP. Period-appropriate attire is encouraged.

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