Community lines up and dances to the beat Saturday June 10, 2017 on the square for Black Music Festival

With his second album recently released, Zambian-born Gospel artist Joe Simalonda said he was proud to perform at the Black Music Appreciation Month Festival on the downtown Tyler square Saturday.

“It is a positive thing, I think, where people are more aware of this culture now,” Simalonda, a seminary student in Jacksonville, said. “I hope it becomes more positive and brings more people together.”

The festival was a part of “Hit the Bricks,” a new event hosted by the local businesses and the city of Tyler on the second Saturday of every month, offering entertainment, art, music and food to the community..

Along with artists and musicians, there were vendors, face painting and dancing at the festival.

Lina Bowie, of Tyler, came to the event to sing with her pastor, Marcus Jackson of Missionary Baptist Church, and the group New Five Ways of Joy.

“We thought it would be exciting to come down here on the square and do our thing,” Bowie said.

The festival celebrated African-American music in the United States, an observance initiated by President Jimmy Carter, who declared June as Black Music Month in 1979.

“It is good to see our community being brought up in a broad and diverse way,” said Tyler resident Tanya Pryor.