McKinney will be celebrating Black History Month with events that highlight the city's rich history, diverse culture as well as the contributions of Black Americans.
It's the third year the city has put together a lineup of events throughout the month aimed at bringing the community together.
"As more people come to McKinney, we're excited to have programming that celebrates the diversity," said Chantelle Kadala with McKinney Economic Development Corporation. "We have everything in McKinney. And with this programming, we're able to display the contributions of African Americans in our county."
It all starts Sunday, February 4, with worship service at McKinney First Baptist Church that celebrates historic Black churches.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
"The same day on Sunday, we're having the Legacy Keepers of Old East McKinney, which is a great organization that has been dedicated to preserving the history and the legacy of Black and brown communities in McKinney," said city council member Dr. Geré Feltus. "They will be teaming up with the McKinney area libraries to do a display, and that display will feature some of that history. So that will be the start of our weekend."
On February 17, Collin College's McKinney campus will play host to the free kid-friendly College Megafest 2024 featuring more than 25 local and historically Black colleges and universities.
"We're partnering with St. Mark's Church on that one, which is another very historic, arguably the first black church in McKinney," said Feltus. "And they've been doing this College Megafest for 12 years. So they have really great experience in offering information on financial aid, act and SAT preps, and there will be scholarships given as well."
A Gospel Soul Food Brunch is planned for February 18 at the Gather Event Center featuring Grammy-nominated Zacardi Cortez. And on February 21 it's the Living Color of Collin County Community Awards.
Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall will be the featured speaker at the CEO Breakfast Series on February 22, and you don't have to be from McKinney to attend.
"She's going to have a discussion about leadership and business and diversity and we want people to come to McKinney and share in that knowledge," said Kadala who will serve as moderator.
Karen Clark-Sheard will be the guest artist at the Harmony of Unity Gospel Celebration on February 25 at Kingdom Life Fellowship.
An adults-only 90s Hip Hop House Party featuring Spinderella will cap off the month of festivities on March 1.
"We're excited about that because that's the fun part of the culture and we want people to come out and enjoy that and just live a little bit of that celebration in a hop house party style," said Kadala.
You don't have to be from McKinney to attend the events. Except for two ticketed signature events, all McKinney Black History Month activities are free and open to the public.
"One of the things that I want to dispel is this myth that celebrating different cultures is a bad thing. Recognizing the differences amongst us is not a bad thing. There are things that we can all celebrate and embrace about each other," said Feltus. "So as we've approached the programming, our goal is to be all-inclusive of every single member of our community.We make it feel warm and inviting, and we invite everyone out to join us. And though we're highlighting Black culture, there are ways for all of us to celebrate and have a good time together and learn together and that will continue to be our mission."
You can learn more about how to register for events and see the calendar at McKinneyBHM.com.
