In this Black History month, there are many ways to celebrate our diverse nation and the stories that comprise it, especially the African American experience. I just finished a documentary that is one recommended way to celebrate. It features a music festival in black Harlem in 1969, one that was almost lost to history in the face of its more popular white cousin, the Woodstock Festival. This Harlem Cultural Festival was lovingly filmed and then forgotten in a basement for half a century. Director Questlove dug it out of the archives and produced a powerful reminiscence in our own time of this important cultural event. Please put aside your own political persuasions to take in this important milestone in history.

It features music of all kinds of variety and is the story of not just African, but Latinos coming out from under their oppression to express freedom. From this initial review, I learned so much that intrigued me. But having watched it myself, I was most moved by those who found their freedom in music. And to be clear, the most liberated among them were those who placed their hope in heaven to overcome the oppression they experienced here on earth. Streaming now on hulu and Disney plus, but also available by DVD from your local library, I highly recommend viewing and taking in this beautiful tribute to the humanity of people whose skin is colored something other than white.