A Special Encore of The Highways Performance Space Visual & Performing Arts Benefit
B E Y O N D. . .
&
F R O M E M M E T T T I L L T O S N C C
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SUPPORTED THE 10/11/25 & 2/20/26 BENEFITS!
THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH & THE U.N. WORLD DAY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE
C O M M E M O R A T E D
with
W O R D S
M U S I C
A R T
+
+
ONE NIGHT ONLY
8:00 PM
FRI., FEB. 20, 2026
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Highways Performance Space
1651 18th St., Santa Monica, CA 90404
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Free Parking
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(located @ The18th St. Arts Center complex)
A Special Encore Live Performance & Visual Arts Benefit for the Highways Performance Space | One Night Only
C O M M E M O R A T E D
THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH & THE U.N. WORLD DAY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE
A Special Encore Live Performance & Visual Arts Benefit for the Highways Performance Space One Night Only
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"From Emmett Till To SNCC & Beyond: Words + Music + Art"
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2026 @ 8:00 PM
Highways Performance Space & Gallery
1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
(located at the 18th St. Arts Center/cross street is Olympic Blvd.)
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Free Parking
Thank you to all who bought tickets* for original October 11, 2025 presentation, and happy to say that due to popular demand we are presenting an encore of "From Emmett Till to SNCC & Beyond: Words + Music + Art”, the special live performance/visual arts benefit to support the nonprofit Highways Performance Space. The Benefit is the powerful Vol. III presentation of Highways’ acclaimed 2005 & 2010 performance/visual artists collective series originally curated by Highways legacy artist, Kevin Spicer, each a thematic homage to Emmett Till. The encore still features a collective of renowned performance and visual artists (some '05 and/or '10 "alumni"), this time also recognizing two 2026 landmark commemorations—The 100th Anniversary of Black History Month and the U.N. World Day of Social Justice, held annually every February 20. Special performances include original SNCC member/artist-activist, Peggy Trotter Dammond Preacely and original Freedom Summer student-activist/CORE advocate, David Crittendon, as well as acclaimed poet, Shruthi Mathur. Also, performing (in alpha order) are: ADAAWE; Marc Broyard; Lura Daniels-Ball; Babe Evans; Brian Freeman; Joyce Guy; Jason Luckett; Paul Outlaw; Derek Shields; Pam Ward; as well as Gia Scott-Heron and Art.Us Mansoir from the Off-Broadway hit, Gil Scott-Heron Bluesology. The preeminent visual artists featuring their work in the special installation in the on-site Highways Gallery include: Charles Dickson; Candace Hunter; and Toni Scott, among other artists...Co-curated by Spicer, the Benefit is produced by MoSamp Productions, and directed by Phylliss Bailey Brooks. In light of February 20 being World Day of Social Justice, we're also honored to have two United Nations Association-USA entities joining us respectively as a collaborator and a special sponsor: UNA-USA LA Chapter and UNA-USA/USC Chapter. For further details on the Benefit, please go to The Words, The Music and The Art sections below... Early Bird benefit tickets* are now available, please click here for purchase/details on the following benefit ticket levels: General Admission; Student/Senior or VIP. To donate to Highways in lieu of obtaining a benefit ticket, please click here.
* (Benefit tickets are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law)
FOR FURTHER INFO: Call/Text (424) 248-9794 or Click Here
THE WORDS
THE MUSIC
THE ART
“From Emmett Till to SNCC & Beyond: Words + Music + Art” not only included formidable pieces culled from their own roles in history by real life history-makers SNCC member / artist-activist, Peggy Trotter Dammond Preacely and Freedom Summer student-activist / CORE advocate, David Crittendon, but powerful original works performed by acclaimed poet, Shruthi Mathur and Gia Scott-Heron, renowned spoken word artist/star of Off-Broadway hit, “Gil Scott-Heron Bluesology”, that showcases her legendary father’s work. Stage stalwart, Babe Evans** also played a gripping character that manifested throughout the evening. In addition, special performance videos featured revered multidisciplinary performing artist/writer, Paul Outlaw** and celebrated L.A.-based poet, Pam Ward**... (Due to circumstances beyond their control, unable to join were award-winning theatre icon, Brian Freeman** and performance artist/director/choreographer, Joyce Guy**--also a LA Drama Critics Circle choreographer winner).
The evening was infused with moving and empowering live music by: the esteemed international all-female voice & drum group, ADAAWE; lauded singer-performance artist-writer, Marc Broyard**; and "Gil Scott-Heron Bluesology" cast member, Art.Us Mansoir, who also joined Gia Scott-Heron for a riveting collab of spoken word and song. In addition, there will be a special multimedia music piece by performance/visual artist, Derek Shields, as well as a compelling video of music & original prose by musicians’ musician and popular L.A. singer-songwriter, Jason Luckett**... Also, performing was another popular vocalist & Highways creative artist alum, Lura Daniels-Ball, who is also the president of Our Authors' Study Club (OASC), chartered by the "father" of Black History Month, Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
Highways is honored that in the Highways Gallery was work by preeminent visual artists: THE Charles Dickson**, Candace Hunter** and Toni Scott**. In addition, established artists Robert Stuart Lowden** and Lori-Antoinette** also showed special pieces available for purchase with proceeds to Highways, as well as Marc Broyard and Derek Shields. Finally, in the live program a thematically compelling work by fêted visual artist, Hana Ward, was digitally incorporated as a story throughline for what was an extraordinary evening of words + music + art…
** (“alumni artists” from 2005’s “The Murder of Emmett Till: 50 Years Later” and/or 2010’s “The Emmett Till Project”, aka Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 of Highways’ Emmett Till performance/visual artists collective series.)