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Charles H. Wright Museum Presents 'Black Women Rock!'

DETROIT (WWJ) -  From Nona Hendrix and Grace Jones, to the Afro Punk Warrior Goddess Tamar Kali, black women artists are inextricably woven into the fabric of Rock and Roll Music.

During Women's History Month, The Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History and the Jess Care Moore Foundation will pay homage to this crucial aspect of history with the third annual "Black Women Rock!" celebration.

The art exhibition, live music concert, afternoon workshops and community celebration will take place this weekend at the Wright Museum.

In 2004, renowned poet and performer Jessica Care Moore created "Black Women Rock! A Tribute to Rock Icon Betty Davis" in conjunction with The National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta to showcase independent women artists of color who made a living as composers, guitarists, vocalists, producers and arts educators in the Rock and Roll genre.

These contemporary artists defy stereotypes of what a Rock and Roll artist looks and sounds like and are the spiritual descendants of Betty Davis, Etta James, Grace Jones, Tina Turner, Nona Hendrix, and Patti Labelle. They have spent their careers breaking down barriers of image, politics and sexuality in the music industry. BWR! debuted in Detroit in March 2010 to a standing room-only audience.

The acclaimed BWR! live concert returns to the Wright Museum's General Motors Theater on Saturday, March 17 at 6:30p.m., and features performances by Ideeyah, Steffanie Christi'an, Yahzarah St. James, Joi Gilliam (former lead singer of Lucy Pearl), Divinity Roxx (bass player for Beyonce), and Detroit's own Jessica Care Moore. Tickets are $25.

The events conclude on Sunday, March 18 with a community celebration to raise funds to benefit Brave New Voices Poet Jasmine Bailey and sickle-cell anemia. It begins with an African martial arts demonstration at noon, followed by a panel discussion with the performers is at 1:30 p.m. An Acoustic Concert rounds up the celebration from 2:30 until 4:00 p.m. The suggested donation is $10, but the Sunday activities are all free.

All BWR! events will be held at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History. The museum is located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Midtown Detroit. For more information visit www.thewright.org or call 313-494-5800.

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