Date: Thursday, February 9, 2023

Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Opening Reception
Town of Oakland’s “’Hold Fast to Dreams’: Celebrating Black History in Oakland”

LeNard Rutledge & Friends will perform at the opening reception of the Town of Oakland’s “’Hold Fast to Dreams’: Celebrating Black History in Oakland” art and history exhibition.

Join us Thursday, Feb 9 from 5-7 pm at the Healthy West Orange Arts and Heritage Center at the Town of Oakland, 126 W. Petris Ave.

A Miami native, LeNard Rutledge began his vocal career with the famed Melton Mustafa Orchestra as their featured vocalist for seven years. He has shared the stage with many highly respectable jazz artists including Wycliffe Gordon, Kenny Drew Jr., Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kirk Whalum, Marion Meadows and the late George Duke. His vocals, reminiscent of Lou Rawls, combine a classy elegance with a raw passion.

The exhibition delves into Oakland’s African American heritage, starting with the growing workforce of Oakland as a major economic hub after the Civil War, with bustling industries of citrus, lumber, and turpentine. Visitors will learn more about the arrival of the railroad and families who have lived in the area for generations. The exhibit also highlights many of Oakland’s African American leaders, both past and present. A special digital presentation focuses on the Town’s Historic African American Cemetery, which was established in 1882 and contains historically significant grave markers of emancipated persons.