Fifty years ago today, 69 men, women and children demonstrating against apartheid in the black township of Sharpeville were shot to death by South African police, and another 180 people wounded (news photo of aftermath pictured). In 1966, the United Nations, to commemorate that massacre declared March 21 the International Day Against the Elimination of Racism.
In Regina, this is the tenth year that this event has been held to mark the day. In a press release, the co-chair of the Spring Free From Racism Committee, Barb Dedi said, attendance in that ten year period had grown from a few hundred to over 3000.
Today’s gathering is at the Italian Club from noon to 7:30 p.m. It’s free, and will feature a wide array of entertainment and foods representative of different immigrant groups and cultures, along with displays on their history and traditions. For more info call 537-9509.
Also on today is New Dance Horizon’s Blueprint Series. That’s where artists present works in progress and then invite audience feedback. Today, I believe, Connie Moker-Wernikowski and Tanya Dahms will be performing. Tanya did a My Music with me awhile back, and I also interviewed her for the H1N1 feature we did last spring. She’s a Bio-Chem prof at the University of Regina who also dances. Moker-Wernikowski, of course, is the long-time head of the Youth Ballet Company of Saskatchewan who stepped down last summer
The performance is at 2 p.m. at NDH’s studio at 2207 Harvey St. Tix are $7. For more info call. 525-5393.
Finally, at 3 p.m. at the University of Regina Theatre pianist Christine Vanderkooy will be presenting a solo recital with music by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann. Tix are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and university students, with Fine Arts and High students admitted free with ID.