Dalton State hosts Black History Month speaker

DALTON, Ga. —  The Black History Month speaker series at Dalton State College kicks off with a focus on Atlanta as “the black Mecca.” Maurice Hobson, an assistant professor of African-American studies and a historian at Georgia State University, discusses his book “The Legend of the Black Mecca: Politics and Class in the Making of Modern Atlanta” on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. in room 105 of the James E. Brown Center at DSC. The event is free and open to the public. Atlanta earned the nickname “the black Mecca” for its achievements in education, business, politics, media and music for African-Americans. However, Hobson explores the idea the city has still mishandled poor black people. He writes there is a schism between the black political elite and the poor residents. Hobson earned a doctorate in history focusing on African-American history and 20th century U.S. history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research is grounded in African-American history, 20th century U.S. history, African-American studies, oral history and ethnography, urban and rural history, political economy and popular cultural studies.

Sine Nomine Singers open season

VALDOSTA – A South Georgia singing group is raising its voices for a new season. Sine Nomine Singers has several events scheduled for spring, including concerts in South Georgia and a series of performances in New Mexico, said Dr. David Johnson, group founder and director. The season marks the 10th year for the select singing group, he said. Sine Nomine means “without name,” but it takes a degree of identifiable talent to participate in the singing troupe. A singer cannot decide to simply join, or even audition, for the Sine Nomine Singers. Johnson invites individuals to participate. Invitations are rare because members rarely leave the group. Johnson keeps the group’s numbers at about 26 to 30 members. At all times, the number of singers remains balanced between soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The majority of its members hail from Valdosta but others travel to the weekly rehearsals from neighboring South Georgia towns. In rehearsals, Johnson runs the group through its vocal paces. He demands excellence and the Sine Nomine Singers are expected to produce it. Though not professional, it has traveled and performed some prestigious concerts. In addition to performances throughout South Georgia, Sine Nomine Singers has performed concerts in Scotland, Poland and Italy. The 2018 Season

– 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, First Tuesday Concert, Abraham Baldwin College Chapel.

– 4 p.m. Sunday, May 20, Spring Performance, First Baptist Church, Downtown Valdosta. Donations taken at the door.

New Mexico Concert Tour

– Noon Thursday, May 31: University of New Mexico/Valencia campus, Los Lunas, N.M.

– 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 1, First Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe, N.M.

– 11 a.m. Sunday, June 3, First Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque, N.M.