As national conversations around Black history and cultural investment continue to shift, community-centered arts spaces are proving just how vital they are. This Black History Month, while the Kennedy Center scaled back their programming for Black History Month then announced a two year closure for renovations, BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown is leaning in—boldly and intentionally.
Montgomery County residents are expected to join “No Kings” demonstrations on Saturday, October 18, as part of a nationwide day of peaceful protests promoting civic engagement, accountability, and democracy. Organizers emphasize nonviolence and lawful participation, with events planned across the county in locations including Germantown, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Olney, Bethesda, and Silver Spring. (more…)
In 2017, Esisonia Sotoglo’s world changed dramatically. Her younger brother, once loving and easy-going, began displaying aggressive and erratic behavior at 19, just after finishing high school. The shift was sudden and jarring for Esisonia and her close-knit West African Togolese family. Their family, loving and supportive, had always been there for each other, with Esisonia recalling her mother’s consistent home-cooked meals and love for her four children. But mental health was not a topic of discussion in their culture, and her family struggled to understand her brother’s behavior.
