Sold-out showing of Black History on Screen at the Suffolk

The second annual Black History on Screen will feature the film The League is slated for February 21 at 7 p.m. at the Suffolk (118 East Main Street, Riverhead). The film is presented by the Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force and the Suffolk Theatre.

The sold-out event includes a pre-screening forum with New York Met Dwight Gooden, Gary Brown of the Green Bay Packers, Chris Vaccaro, President of the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame, and basketball player and coach Kia Wright. Tanger Outlets is providing 400 swag bags for attendees and East End Arts will display their Marin Luther King exhibit.

“This year we took the step to recognize [baseball’s] Negro League, being that just May 30 of 2024 major league baseball finally recognized Negro League player stats. So we figured that it would be important for us to highlight that and create more awareness,” said Mark Mclaughlin, chairman of the Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force. 

Mr. Mclaughlin said the panelists will discuss “their upbringings, their humble beginnings and what they had to fight through.” The screening will take place at the conclusion of the forum.

The event is so popular, the organization is hoping to expand it to a two-day festival next year. “The tickets went by so fast, and a lot of people are still asking about it,” said Mr. McLaughlin. 

He acknowledged support from a wide array of organizations. “I want to thank all the volunteers, from the Lions Club, from the BID, the Chamber of Commerce, and East End Arts. [We appreciate] all the help that the community is bringing towards this event. The Suffolk theater opening up their doors, The Tanger Outlets, everyone, [including]  the Anti-Bias Task Force. I just want to give them a special thank you.”