Source: Hard Rock Atlantic City / Hard Rock Atlantic City
Black History Month is approaching fast, and Atlantic City will be the site of one special celebration featuring a pop-up museum exhibit and a special performance by Kirk Franklin, among other events.
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City announced on Wednesday(January 5) that they will be the site of a special tribute to Black History Month this year. The month-long celebration will have three components to it, beginning with a pop-up museum exhibit. The “Jackie Robinson: Stealing Home and This Little Light of Mine: The Black Church” exhibit is organized in partnership with the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey, and will feature photos, videos and other artifacts that respectively showcase the life of the first Black player to play in Major League Baseball and to give insight to the various Black houses of worship in the region. It will open to the public for free from February 17th to 20th and will be located at the Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena.
The celebration will also feature a musical revue entitled “On Kentucky Ave,” which pays homage to the historic nightlife scene of Black Atlantic City, specifically the famed Club Harlem. It will feature original music and popular music from the 1960’s including The Isley Brothers and Otis Redding and take place on Friday, February 18th and Saturday, February 19th at the casino’s Sound Waves music venue. There will also be a special concert featuring the iconic urban gospel music artist Kirk Franklin at Etess Arena on February 26th, with proceeds for the tickets going to the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey.
Lastly, there will be an exclusive memorabilia tour dedicated to the rich history and experiences of Black musical artists hosted at the casino and hotel complex. The featured items on display are from a treasure trove of legendary artists including Whitney Houston, James Brown, Prince, Michael Jackson and many more. Interested guests can take the self-guided tour by accessing a special QR code on-site that will allow them to view the items on display throughout the resort property.
Joe Lupo, President of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City expressed his excitement for the celebration in a statement announcing the events, saying: “We are humbled to work with several great partners who live, work and perform right here in our community.” Tickets for the musical performances can be obtained at their website.
