Photographer Moneta Sleet captures a rare candid moment of a playful Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., while with his family at home in Montgomery, Alabama in 1957. His wife and fellow activist, Coretta Scott King, who died in 2006, was the family matriarch – the foundation of the family and the man. She no doubt is one of the heroes in Americanhistory, and her accomplishments are notable during Women’s History Month. The photo is part of an exhibit at the New York Public Library/ Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
“Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you
must become its soul.”
— Coretta Scott King (1927 – 2006)
From the power of women to the power of the pen, our column this week proves that most events are circularly linked in purpose: to entertain, educate, and enlighten. And so, that is why we headlined this week’s column, Entertainment Roundup. Enjoy, and we will circle back with you next week.
Ghana President To Be Honored In Philly As a Global Voice
President John Dramani Mahama
Friday, March 27, 2026, Philadelphia will roll out the red carpet for the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, who will visit the city on an international business relations and diplomacy tour. The head of state will be recognized for his work as a global voice for democracy and development. President Mahama will visit Lincoln University in Chester County, a World Affairs Council of Philadelphia event in Center City, Temple University in North Philly, and a Ghana-focused pop-up opening at Brown’s ShopRite in Southwest Philadelphia. Part of the trip is aimed at advancing diaspora investment and introducing a commercial and civic build-up as the Ghana-Croatia 2026 FIFA World Cup game approaches on Saturday, June 27, at Lincoln Field in South Philadelphia.
The visit next week is organized by the U.S.-Ghana Chamber of Commerce based in Philadelphia. Lincoln University will confer an honorary doctorate on President Mahama. Notably, Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s founding president, earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and sociology at Lincoln in 1939. At a luncheon stop, the World Affairs Council will present President Mahama with an International Statesperson Award for his global leadership and commitment to international relations.
$250 per ticket; 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ritz-Carlton Ballroom, 10 Avenue of the Arts, Email: brushgoebel@wacphila.org, https://wacphila.org/event/isa-president-mahama-ghana/ (Also, see story in FunTimes for more information on President Mahama’s Philly trip).
Confab To Address Equity, Economic Mobility
Photo credit: https://diversitech.tribaja.co/
Thursday, March 19 to Saturday, March 21, 2026. Diversitech 2026 will feature technology, innovation, and inclusive leadership to shape the future of sustainable careers in technology and workforce equity. One way to make Philadelphia a global innovation hub, says Shannon Morales, CEO of conference host Tribaja, is to bring “national and global tech leaders together to drive real impact.”
Diversitech 2026 will include expert speakers, executive leaders, panel discussions, workshops, networking, career matchmaking, on-site interviews, DEI-focused programming, startup and innovation showcases, and professional development workshops. The conference offers opportunities for executives, sponsors, and organizations looking to invest in the tech workforce. The event is linked to the National Women’s History Alliance’s 2026 theme, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” which aims to advance female leaders. Diversitech will host Women’s History Month Brunch in partnership with Accenture, focusing on executive leadership, mentorship, and pathways to advancement.
Three days, times vary. Starting at $49.99 per pass (for college students) and $149 per pass (for General admission tickets for adults). Rivers Casino, 1001 N. Delaware Ave.
Pick A Favorite Philly Moment Or Song
Through Thursday, March 19, 2026, WXPN public radio (88.5FM in the Delaware Valley) is celebrating The Philly250 Songs For, By, and About Philadelphia project in honor of the city’s musical legacy and America’s 250th anniversary. Many eyes are focused on Philly because the great American experiment all started here. Keeping in mind the “Sound of Philadelphia,” Live Aid and Live 8, the clubs, studios, and stages, the station is asking for your opinion: What are Philadelphia’s memorable music moments, events, and songs that stand up and stand out? For example: The inaugural Roots Picnic in 2008, Sister Rosetta Tharpe moving to Philly in 1957, or G Love’s “I-76,” or maybe songs from artists like Teddy Pendergrass, Chubby Checker, Patti LaBelle, Jazmine Sullivan, and Jill Scott. Submit songs that are “for, by, and about Philadelphia,” as well as key Philly-centric music moments to be highlighted on air.
The deadline for submissions will be this Thursday at this link.
Workshop For Writers To Find Their Place
Author Camille Acker. Photo by Neal Santos courtesy of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
Saturday, March 21, 2026. Discuss and write about the power and importance of “place” in your stories in the writers’ workshop, Writing the Power of Place, Locating the Heart: The Value of Place in Your Story. The promotional material explains that” good fiction needs defined spaces to keep our characters grounded and give our stories depth and heart. A place is more than a setting; a place can be a character, all its own,..” Study well-known authors as a guide to inspire you creatively.
Writer-editor Camille Acker will lead the workshop. Acker is the author of the short story collection Training School for Negro Girls, published in 2018. She has a B.A. in English from Howard University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from New Mexico State University. In 2020, she received a Fulbright Scholarship. She has been published in The New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, Electric Literature, as an Audible Original, and in the anthology On Girlhood: 15 Stories From the Well-Read Black Girl Library.
$90 per ticket; $30 students; 11 a.m. EST. The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, 219 S. 6th St. Register here.
Celebrating Females Who Were First & Foremost
Sunday, March 22, 2026. To observe Women’s History Month, Interfaith Philadelphia will celebrate Colonial-era female trailblazers connected to religion. Discover how women, some of them little known, contributed to the Revolutionary War efforts in an insightful conversation called Religious Freedom: Then & Now. It is part of an initiative diving into 250 years of interfaith engagement and understanding in Philadelphia.
Learn about key historical figures like Jarena Lee and Phillis Wheatley. Wheatley was an American writer and the first African American author to publish a book of poetry in 1773. The enslaved Wheatley employed classical and biblical allusions, critiquing slavery while exploring faith, freedom, and identity. She garnered world acclaim and eventually her freedom. She was educated by her owners in Boston and became a celebrated literary figure who corresponded with George Washington. Lee was the first female preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She was born into a free Black family in New Jersey. She asked the founder of the AME Church, Richard Allen, to be a preacher, which led to her being recognized as the first woman to be ordained as an evangelist in the heavily male-dominated African Methodist Episcopal Church. Free but pre-register, 2 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. Historic St. George’s United Methodist Church, 235 N. 4th St. Email: info@interfaithphiladelphia.org, 215-222-1012 or https://www.interfaithphiladelphia.org/phila250_saintgeorge/
It’s A Cook Book, But Not Really…
Thursday, March 26, 2026. We know which new book is displayed prominently at Harriett’s Bookshop, one of Philly’s most beloved book meccas. In a virtual book discussion, find out how Harriett blossomed in owner Jeannine Cook’s new memoir, “Shut up and Read.” Cook chronicles her life, raised by a blind librarian, up to how her passion led to the success of Harriett’s Bookshop, including overcoming uncharted obstacles like keeping her business afloat during the COVID pandemic. The event partner is A Novel Idea bookstore in South Philly.
Join Booklight PA in this reading of Cook’s memoir, followed by a discussion with Cook in a virtual Q&A.
Free but pre-register, 6 p.m. EST to 7 EST. Zoom & YouTube Live. Register on Zoom at Spotlightpa.org/events Email: events@spotlightpa.org, https://www.spotlightpa.org/ or Register here
