“We don’t have to be controlled with the month of February,” said Carolyn Williams with the Athens Limestone Community Association. “We need to teach Black history throughout the year.”

On Saturday, April 6, the association will host the inaugural Ubora Fest. The event starts at 1 p.m. in the Athens State University ballroom, and it will feature performances, speakers, food and more ways to educate and celebrate Black culture.

The plans for this event began when Jerome Malone called Williams and had the idea.

“We originally wanted to do it in February,” Williams said.

The plans didn’t quite come together in time, which ended up working out well for the organizers. The Athens State Ballroom had a date available in April, and the preparations began.

“February is kind of a short month, and we have so much history to share,” Williams said. “We like (the date) in April. I think we’re going to keep it there.”

The event is going to feature different types of food and music that have roots in Black culture. Visitors will be able to enjoy entertainment from guest speakers, theater and live music from a Nashville artist. Program participants have been practicing at the Athens Limestone Community Association’s Pincham-Lincoln center on the site of former Trinity School and Fort Henderson.

Williams is excited for everyone to be able to celebrate Athens-Limestone’s ubora — the Swahili word that translates “excellence” — but is most excited for the opportunity to get future generations excited about learning of Athens’s rich history.

“Your children need to know,” Williams said. “For us (the event is) fun, but for the children it’s everything.”