PHILADELPHIA, PA — A powerful day of reflection, scholarship, art and spiritual expression will unfold this weekend as Taller Puertorriqueño commemorates Black History Month with its 30th Annual Arturo Schomburg Symposium.
Held Saturday, February 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2600 N. 5th Street, the milestone gathering launches “We Will Not Hide,” a year-long series marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. For three decades, the symposium has created space for Latine, African American and Afro-Latine voices to explore history, resistance and cultural resilience.
This year’s theme, “We Will Not Hide: Spirituality as Resilience and Resistance,” examines how African-descended people — enslaved and free — sustained their cultures and liberation struggles through dynamic spiritual and religious traditions.
Attendees will hear from an accomplished roster of scholars, artists and faith leaders. Featured voices include capoeira master Mestre Cobra Mansa; Haitian Vodou priestess and doctoral scholar Mambo Alexandra St. Tellien; Ifa priest Rene Gonzalez; historian Evelyne Laurent-Perrault; cultural leader Nilda Mercedes Peraza; and multidisciplinary artist Jorge Luis Rodríguez.
A highlight of the day will be a gallery visit and discussion with Rodríguez about his installation, Orisha/Santos: An Artistic Interpretation of the Seven African Powers, which explores the syncretism of Yoruba spiritual traditions and Catholicism. The exhibit runs through April 4.
The day begins with a continental breakfast, followed by panel discussions, a lunch break, audience Q&A sessions and a closing drum performance — blending scholarship with living cultural expression.
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, for whom the symposium is named, was a renowned Afro-Puerto Rican historian and activist whose archive became the foundation of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York.
Event Details
- What: 30th Annual Arturo Schomburg Symposium
- When: Saturday, February 28, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Where: Taller Puertorriqueño, 2600 N. 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19133
- Cost/Tickets: $10; available online or at the door
- More Info: Visit https://tallerpr.org or https://tallerpr.org/wewillnothide
For those seeking a deeper understanding of history, faith and cultural endurance, this landmark 30th anniversary symposium offers a meaningful way to engage with the past — and consider its relevance for the future.
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