Block party kicks off Black Love Classics movie series at Tampa Theatre

The third season of the Black Love Classics movie series opened at the Tampa Theatre in downtown Tampa on Sunday at the Franklin Street Block Party from 1 to 3 p.m. The gathering featured 16 Black-owned businesses. Vendors from artists to a plant pop-up shop and wellness businesses joined in the celebration of African-American culture. The Black Love Classics movie series began in 2022 as a partnership between the city of Tampa’s Community Engagement and Partnerships Development and the Tampa Theatre to celebrate the intersection between Black History Month and Valentine’s Day by featuring romance films starring Black actors in leading roles. The Sunday movie series continues through Feb. 25; tickets and information at tampatheatre.org. “This is about meaningful cultural exchange, the opportunity to bring people to the Tampa Theatre to talk, to come together, also to watch great movies, but most of all people making connection through film,” said Frank Crum, who is the community engagement coordinator with the city of Tampa.