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Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites to Host Free Program Featuring Author Shanita Hubbard
March 6th, 2024
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS), in partnership with Northampton Community College (NCC) and the National Endowment for the Humanities, is hosting ‘A Conversation with Shanita Hubbard’ at the 1869 Luckenbach Mill on Thursday, March 14, at 6:30 p.m. The program is part of NCC’s yearlong celebration, ‘50 Years Down The Line: A Celebration of Hip Hop History & Culture.’
“This particular event intends to hold an uncommon public conversation in a well-known community space. Broadly speaking, while Hip Hop and American pop culture have successfully highlighted disenfranchised voices, they can often reinforce stereotypes as well. Using both scholarship and personal biography, this work is specifically critical in ways Black women’s physical and emotional well being is caught between this duality,” said Hubbard. “The Luckenbach Mill seems appropriate for such complex conversation, as Historic Bethlehem Museum and Sites examine how American heritage and colonial marginalization are not mutually exclusive truths about our collective history.”
The program will feature an open and honest dialog between Hubbard and Professor Andrew McIntosh and will explore themes found in Hubbard’s published writings and recent book, “Ride or Die: A Feminist Manifesto for the Well-Being of Black Women.” In her book, Hubbard interrogates the notion of the “ride or die chick”: a Black woman who holds down her family and community, often at her own expense
The National Endowment for the Humanities and NCC are sponsoring the program, which is part of NCC’s yearlong celebration and examination of Hip Hop culture’s four elements: how they came to be, how they evolved, how they continue to practice, and how they continue to thrive in American culture. The initiative combines classroom pedagogy and academic research with presentations and performances by hip-hop artists, activists and educators.
This program aligns with HBMS’s mission to educate, inspire, and reflect the diverse histories and cultures that have shaped Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley. Through the event, HBMS aims to bridge past and present by fostering an engaging dialogue around the resilience and contribution of Black women throughout history, as illustrated in Hubbard’s book. By connecting Hubbard’s critical examination of the “ride or die chick” stereotype to the broader historical narrative, HBMS fulfills its commitment to providing programs that challenge, educate and empower.
“We often think about looking back when discussing history and the past, but often, considering our histories can help us to look to the future with clarity and intention,” said Lindsey Jancay, director of collections and engagement. ”This program aligns with Historic Bethlehem’s mission to engage visitors around the many experiences and perspectives that make up our community, and we are proud to partner with Northampton Community College in welcoming Ms. Hubbard to the Luckenbach Mill.”
Interested attendees can register for the program through an online form at https://www.historicbethlehem.org/forms/conversation-with-shanita-hubbard-program-registration/.
For more information on ‘A Conversation with Shanita Hubbard,’ visit: https://www.historicbethlehem.org/experiences/series/conversation-with-shanita-hubbard/.
