Black arts events planned in Connecticut, California

The articles highlight varied aspects of Black history and experience, from Aaron Brister, an enslaved man who served as a Continental Army private during the Revolutionary War, to a Santa Monica event honoring Belmar and the city’s Black community. Another story previews a concert built around a work exploring the depth and multiplicity of Black men’s lives. A separate article examines the changing origins of DC Comics’ Black Manta and the character’s fictional Black separatist mission. The collection also notes that lower-income, less-educated, Black and Hispanic adults have faced especially acute difficulty paying for essentials since the pandemic began.