AUBURN - February is Black History month, a time to reflect on the contributions so many blacks have made to this country.

Saturday afternoon the Booker T. Washington Center hosted its ninth annual Black History/Love Dinner in recognition of these accomplished Americans.

Rebecca McLaurin, special events coordinator at the center, said that the event began through the efforts of veterans of foreign wars.

“The vets used to come out and help cook,” McLaurin said. “They helped for the first three or four years, but after that we just kept it going.”

Currently the event is co-sponsored by the Incarcerated Vet Chapter 205 along with the NAACP.

“This is the first year they've (NAACP) helped sponsor this,” McLaurin said. “And the vets have always helped

sponsor this. They give us the money to be able to do this. They really started this as a way for the community to get together.“

While there was plenty of chicken, greens and corn bread, as well as a cake donated by Wegman's, this was also an evening to celebrate more than food.

Performers like the Roosevelt Dancers were joined by guest speakers like Auburn Mayor Michael Quill and Imam Abdur-Rahim Muhammad of Community Wide Dialogue, speaking on the importance of recognizing the contributions of blacks in this community and this nation.

But it was an evening also marked by readings from various children in the Booker T. Washington after school programs.

Five of the center's Tweens, read short essays on people who have made a difference in their lives or have served as an inspiration.

Dominique Ward, 10, wrote about U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, while Shaelynn Freeman, 10, wrote about tennis star Serena Williams.

A lot of time and thought went into the preparation of the essays.

“We had to look things up on the computer,” said Tyierra Beal, 10, who wrote about freed slave James Forten. “He did a lot; he was a freed slave and abolitionist.”

Lessie Villalba, 10, wrote about the center's namesake, Booker T. Washington.

“He isn't really known,” Villalba said. “But he is just like Harriet Tubman, he is another great person that really did a lot and I want people to know about him and everything he did.”

Villalba's cousin Kina Bowman stopped to hear her cousin read.

“It doesn't surprise me,” Bowman said. “She is amazing, I think what she wrote is wonderful.”

The young writers were joined by some adult members of the center and community in readings, as well.

Rashonda Flowers, also a member of the Roosevelt Dancers, read one of her own original pieces called “Black Beauty”.

“It felt good to get up there and read,” Flowers said. “I've been writing for a long time and they know me here at the center and that I write poetry and it felt good to get up there and let people hear what I wrote.”

Lanetra Williams may well have summed up the whole event.

Williams read a piece that she said was written be her aunt Lulu, whom she never met, but the poem resonated with Williams through her life and was something she wanted to pass along. The piece, “Twas the Night Before Jesus Came,” is one Williams has held dear and recited since she was a teenager.

“It really means a lot to me,” Williams said. “I thought this poem fit in well with the idea of black history month. It has always inspired me, the words are all just very inspirational and touching and something I wanted to share.”

In the spirit of sharing, McLaurin said that all the food leftover from the dinner would be taken to the hospitality center at the Auburn prison and used to feed the incarcerated vets there Sunday afternoon.