The Aquarium of the Pacific will host its twentieth annual African American Festival, which features music, dance, storytelling, historical displays, and the annual Heritage Award presentation. The Aquarium will also announce and celebrate the recipients of its 2022 African American Scholar Program.
The festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday, February 26 and 27, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Guests can experience performances, including hip hop and break dance, drum circles, and live bands. The African American Scholar Program awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 26, at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time and can be attended in person in the Honda Pacific Visions Theater or via a free live stream by visiting the Aquarium’s African American Festival webpage. The Heritage Award will be presented on Sunday, February 27, to Carolyn Caldwell in recognition of her more than thirty years of dedicated service in healthcare in Long Beach. In addition to the festival’s offerings, visitors can discover the wonders of the Pacific Ocean at the Aquarium as they meet more than 12,000 animals.
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, February 26-27, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
How to view the African American Scholar Program award ceremony virtually:
On Saturday, February 26, at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time, the public can visit the African American Festival webpage to watch the live streaming awards ceremony announcing the 2022 African American Scholar Program recipients.
How to view the festival performance virtually:
The performance by Dembrebrah at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, February 27 will be live on the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Facebook and Instagram.
HERITAGE
AWARD: Carolyn Caldwell is the president and chief executive officer of St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, California, and she is the first African American serving in this position. A medical technologist by training, Caldwell has over thirty years of experience in the healthcare industry. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Alabama A&M University and her master’s degree in healthcare administration from Texas Woman’s University. Caldwell has a passion for working with and providing high quality healthcare to vulnerable or underrepresented populations. Her efforts have earned her several awards, including the Palm Springs Human Rights Commission Community Service Award in 2015 and Women Worth Watching by the Profiles in Diversity Journal in 2011. In addition, she received recognition as a Distinguished Health Care Administrator from the Long Beach Section of the National Council of Negro Women. She is a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives, a former board member of the American Hospital Association, and past chair of the AHA Institute for Diversity in Health Management. Caldwell is the chair of the Board of Directors of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
COST: The festival is included with general admission: $36.95 per adult (ages 12+), $26.95 per child (ages 3-11), $33.95 per senior (ages 62+), and free for Aquarium members and children under age three
INFO: (562) 590-3100 or aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/african_american_festival/
Aquarium Safety protocols: aquariumofpacific.org/visit/aquarium_safety
Credit: The Aquarium of the Pacific.
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