The Black History Luncheon held every year in the county has a new name.
It’s now called the Cultural Diversity Luncheon and is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, at the Quality Inn, 1200 W. Gannon Drive, in Festus.
Tickets, which cost $30 each, are available for purchase.
Jim Sparling, one of the organizers, said the decision to change the event’s name was based on changes taking place in the country.
“We’re still going to talk about black history at the luncheon, but we’ve become such a diverse nation, we decided to make the change to Cultural Diversity,” said Sparling, a board member for the Cultural Diversity Committee, one of the sponsors. “We wanted to be more inclusive.”
This is the 25th year for the event, which raises money for the Douglass Alumni Scholarship Fund, as well as the other co-sponsor of the event, Giving Something Back to the Community, a local organization that serves Jefferson County residents in need.
The keynote speakers this year will be James Page, who has worked in management, community service and grassroots organizing, and Lloyd Bingham, the author of “The Douglass Connection,” the story of the African-American school in Festus that opened in 1900 and closed in the late 1950s when public schools were integrated.
Sparling said the banquet center at the Quality Inn has room for a maximum of 400 people. “Usually, we get around 300 people, but we hope that since it’s our 25th year, it will be a total sell-out.”
Rosee Head, a 17-year-old virtuoso violinist from New York, will perform at the event. “She started playing when she was 4 years old and has played at Carnegie Hall,” Sparling said.
Head will be accompanied on the piano by local ophthalmologist Mark Spurrier.
The MOBB of Jefferson County, a 21-piece big band, also will perform.
In addition, there will be wine bags for sale, raffles, drawings and a brief oral auction. The luncheon will be catered by Andre’s Banquet and Catering.
Sparling said several schools in the area have already bought tables for the event and he is excited about attracting more young people. He believes the event has much to offer people of all ages and races.
“It’s about the community,” he said. “It’s about fellowship, and it’s about people getting together and celebrating their diversity.”
For tickets or more information, call Sparling at 636-937-9107, Denise Brown at 636-937-0575 or Susan Harrison at 314-221-1757.