To Do 02.04.21

SHOW OFF: your talent.

Whether it’s spoken word, songwriting and music, or dancing, there’s a virtual space for that this week. Building Healthy Communities teams up with the Monterey County Black Caucus for a talent show titled “Healing thru Arts Black Talent Show.” It’s at 6pm on Saturday, Feb. 6, via Zoom. To sign up, join the Monterey County Black Caucus on Facebook. Performances can be recorded or streamed. Any other questions and submissions can be sent to mcbc831@gmail.com. The Arts Council for Monterey County presents the 2021 Poetry Out Loud competition to determine which high schooler will win the coveted championship. The competition is at 1pm on Saturday, Feb. 6, so you’ll have plenty of time to participate and attend both virtual displays of artistic talent. Poetry Out Loud will be hosted by local poet Garland Thompson (speaking of open mics, he long presided over East Village’s Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam) and will include a performance from CSU Monterey Bay poetry professor (and poet) Daniel Summerhill. Register at arts4mc.org.

RE-ENVISION: the system.

There are some great leaders of thought out there working across disciplines to diversify our perspectives. On the local level, CSU Monterey Bay has a lineup of online events and talks for their annual Black History Month programming. They include a talk with Associated Students President Jasmine Bhardwaj and the Associate VP for Inclusive Excellence and Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Brian Corpeningon, on the university’s progress on diversity and inclusion (at noon) and a Black Excellence discussion (2-3pm) on Friday, Feb. 12; details at csumb.edu/as/events. Take your curious mind across state lines for Intra-Disciplinary Seminar Public Lecture Series at The Cooper Union. They have lectures by thought-provoking authors, professors, scientists and more scheduled through May, including a talk by Yomaira C Figueroa-Vásquez, a professor of Afro-diaspora studies, on Feb. 9. ids.cooper.edu.

SUPPORT: BoBs.

The acronym stands for Black-Owned Business, and whether you’re looking for a comforting and quick meal, consulting a personal trainer, or searching for a ride back from the airport, there are plenty of Black-owned local businesses available to support your everyday needs. Some great places to start are Michelle’s Soul Food Kitchen in Seaside. To restock your bar, visit Post No Bills – or if you’re still riding the Dry January train and need a protein shake and some fitness instruction, try The Hem Nutrition for the former and Monterey Fit Body Boot Camp for the latter.