FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In it's third year, Music Moves is partnering with DAYVISION Films to put together the Arkansas Black Film & Music Expo.
Organizer Anthony Ball said talent from all across the country will meet in Fayetteville to help inform the community on the music and film industry.
"This is a celebration of black art and culture," Music Moves' Anthony Ball said. "Many people talk about the atrocities, we want to also talk about the contributions in some of the traditions and share those traditions and, cultural experiences with our neighbors."
Mike Day is the founder of DAYVISION Films. His love for film started with MTV music videos and the LA classic Boyz in the Hood. Now a community leader, his DAYVISION Films is partnering with Music Moves to empower black creators and stories.
"As film is growing in the state of Arkansas, kind of like with everything else, as it pertains to US history. Black people typically get the back end of it. And so, this is one of the many events that DAYVISION hosts to help combat that," Day said. "Students of all color are able to now come in and say, hey, I can do that, or, Hey, this is possible, as opposed to maybe what 10 years ago, when the arts weren't a big component of the state."
"If we don't talk about the things that happened in the past and the contributions of a community, it's like it never happened. So it's important to talk about it and give homage to a population of people that has contributed so much to the American fabric," Ball said.
On Friday, the Black Film Expo will have panels, Black film screenings, and guest speaker, Daphne Maxwell Reid. DJ Afrosia will host an after-party following the first day.
On Saturday the music expo will start with the Mardi Gras parade. Educational performances like how Jazz impacted Hip-Hop will follow the parade. To end the night, a concert will feature Arkansas musicians such as Branjae, Akeem Kemp, and Michael Fields Jr. Lyfe Jennings, and Yung Joc will headline the concert and end the final night of the expo.
The Expo takes place in Fayetteville's Town Center on Saturday and Sunday. You can find tickets on the Music Moves website.