The Pinkney family is unique in African-American children’s literature. How has this come about? What is there about this family that led to children’s books becoming the family business? Join Marcelle Haddix, event host and professor of reading and language arts at the School of Education at Syracuse University, to find out why. Event aimed at young children, mothers, homeschoolers and community members. Event is free. For more information, call the library at (315) 435-3395.

Join with FORCE Ready Syracuse Project for a disaster preparedness training where you will learn how you and your family can get ready in the event of an emergency. Participants will receive a starter disaster preparedness kit and additional resources.

Syracuse Black Expo celebrates cultural excellence by providing a venue to build a financial community to generate more businesses, create jobs and build a safe neighborhood. Event will feature shopping including T-shirts, jewelry, art, food, baked goods and more. Free entry. For more information, call (315) 878-2763.

Master Roland Sims will give a martial arts demonstration open to both adults and school-aged children. Discover how to empower yourself with time-honored, effective survival, self-defense, evasion, resistance and escape strategies.

In honor of Black History and Heart Health Month, Holisticsupernatural will offer Wellness Wednesdays. This four-week dinner and learn series will explore the African diet, influencers and heart disease and will examine the differences and similarities of vegetarian and Veganism, how to create a balanced plant-based meal, fight inflammation and maintain proper gut health. Cost is $15 per session or $40 for all four.

These informal community meetings will be held on the last Thursday of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Southside Interfaith CDC, 500 W. Newell St. Neighbors in McKinley Community and friends in other Syracuse neighborhoods and surrounding areas welcome. They provide the hot coffee; you provide the hot topics.

The Syracuse NAACP 2018 State of the Community Address - "Our Vision, 2018 & Beyond" - will be presented by Linda Brown-Robinson, president of the local group. To learn more, contact Brown-Robinson at (315) 440-6340.

Beauchamp Library will screen "Hidden Figures" (Runtime 2 hours, 7 minutes). In the film, three brilliant African-American women at NASA -- Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson -- serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race and galvanized the world. Intended for all ages; free popcorn provided.

The documentary "7 a.m." will be screened at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at Beauchamp Branch Library. The documentary explores why it's a lack of businesses, not a lack of jobs, that makes Black people the poorest people in America. The film makers speak with the foremost minds on the subject like Dr. Claud Anderson and Don Peebles about why racism is an economics issue, not a social issue. Food will be provided.

Dr. Joan Hillsman will present and perform with the Syracuse Chapter Gospel Music Workshop of America. Event to feature vocal music performance, poetry and dance, including African-American traditional music -- gospel, spiritual and others.