Families Valued

The seventh annual Western Regional Black Family Reunion Celebration concludes today at Exposition Park and will spread the message that the black family is alive and well.

“We have problems, but we are not problem people,” said Ralph D. Sutton, a spokesman for the three-day event, which is sponsored by the National Council of Negro Women. This year’s theme, celebrated in seven cities, is “Family Working Wonders . . . Something to Celebrate.”

The first Black Family Reunion Celebration was conceived by Dorothy I. Height, the council’s president, as a means to counter claims that black families were falling apart.

“It gives a basis for self-esteem when you know that you belong and that you are a part of something bigger than yourself,” Height said. “We must recognize that we are not alone, no matter how isolated we may feel at times. We are an African-American people and part of a wonderful extended family.”

It’s not likely anyone attending today’s events will feel alone; last year’s celebration attracted nearly 900,000 people.

In addition to music, art exhibits and free health screenings, the event features pavilions with information and activities related to a host of topics, including family values, children, jobs and business, sports, community networking, teen-agers and young adults, spirituality and the diaspora.