The city of Southfield Parks & Recreation department will host a ‘Southfield Celebrates Black History Month’ kick-off event on Saturday, February 2 from 4-9 p.m. in the Southfield Pavilion, 26000 Evergreen Road. The kick-off event will feature the Black History 101 Mobile Museum, a lecture by museum founder Khalid el-Hakim, a Black-owned Business Marketplace, music by DJ DeezyD and a lecture by Professor Griff, founding member of Public Enemy.

The Black History 101 Mobile Museum is an award-winning collection of over 7,000 original artifacts of Black memorabilia dating from the trans-Atlantic slave trade era to hip-hop culture. Museum founder Khalid el-Hakim will also give a lecture adding a voice and dimension to the pieces on display.

A second lecture will be given by Professor Griff, cofounding member of hip-hop group Public Enemy. Professor Griff is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, cultural entertainment analyst, internationally renowned educator, writer, producer, musician, lecturer and author of The Psychological Covert War on Hip Hop. Professor Griff captivates audiences with his universal call for social responsibility within the hip-hop community and larger culture.

The Black-owned Business Marketplace will be open throughout the event for attendees to browse and support black-owned businesses from the metro area. Interested vendors can visit www.cityofsouthfield.com to fill out a vendor application or contact Taneshia Springer at (248) 796-4609 or tspringer@cityofsouthfield.com for more information. Vendor spaces are $25 and include one eight-foot table and two chairs. Vendors must be registered by January 28.

The city of Southfield Parks & Recreation department is presenting ‘Southfield Celebrates Black History Month’ to remember the contributions and celebrate the history of African-Americans. The month-long celebration will also include a couples game night on February 8, movie night on February 15 and will conclude with The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers event on February 28. For more information on ‘Southfield Celebrates Black History Month,’ visit www.cityofsouthfield.com.

For more information on the kick-off event, contact Southfield Parks & Recreation at (248) 796-4620.