Overview: Northside Church of Christ in Riverside hosted their annual Black History Month program on March 7, honoring several individuals for their contributions to the community, state, and overall contributions to Black history. The theme of this year’s program was “Black History: The Celebration Continues.” The annual program serves as a reminder to honor and celebrate the legacy of those that came before, and acknowledge the church’s role in Black history. Honorees included Cheryl Brown, Sherdale Smith, Willard Crigler, Ellen Crigler, and Monica Stockhausen.
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Breanna Reeves
Though February has come to an end, Black history celebrations continue in the Inland Empire. Northside Church of Christ in Riverside hosted their annual Black History Month program on March 7 and honored several individuals for their contributions to the community, the state and their overall contributions to Black history.
Organized by Shirley Coates and her fellow congregants, the theme of this year’s Black History Program was “Black History: The Celebration Continues.” The annual program serves as a reminder to honor and celebrate the legacy of those that came before, and acknowledge the church’s role in Black history.
“We never stop celebrating Black history, and this year, we are celebrating through gospel songs, through spirited songs…,” Coates said. “Because if you think about our heritage, it was always telling the story.”
Honorees included Cheryl Brown for her contributions to Inland Empire as a steward and publisher emeritus of Black Voice News; for her civic work in the community as a former assemblywoman; and as a champion for aging adults as a chair of the California Commission on Aging. Other featured honorees were Sherdale Smith, vocalist, vocal coach and choir director, celebrated for his contributions to music ministries across California, his impact in music nationally, and for his leadership.
Willard Crigler and his wife, Ellen Crigler, joined honorees for their significant contributions to youth ministry and women’s ministry across California. Willard Crigler was recognized for his service to Christian youth as the first full-time Black youth minister across the Churches of Christ in Los Angeles more than two decades ago. The final honoree was Monica Stockhausen, founder and CEO of Nerdy Girls Rock LLC and a professor at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga and California State University, San Bernardino alumna.
Check out some scenes captured by Black Voice News:
