5 Best Black History Month Events For 2015
As Black History Month begins, we thought you'd like to celebrate at some of these great Black History Month events going on in New York City this February. By Carly Petrone.
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Celebrate Black History Month with the Arsenal Gallery exhibition The Migration. Twenty-two artists share their interpretations of the historical movement known as "The Great Migration," when some 6 million African-American descendants of the Antebellum South fled the racial segregation and discrimination of Jim Crow laws for northern and western U.S. cities. Exhibition runs through February 24th and museum is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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Head over to The Brooklyn Museum for Target First Saturdays. On February 7th, the day will be dedicated to Black History Month with live music, movie screenings, lectures, poetry readings, and a book club event. Listen to live jazz from New Orleans band Water Seed, watch the film Soul Food Junkies followed by a talkback with the filmmaker Byron Hurt, or show your creative side by using fabric to design a quilt square inspired by people and events in African-American culture. Join in on a lively discussion about artworks celebrating African-American artists, meet the founder of the blog Black Contemporary Art, and find out about Grammy Award-winning spoken word artist J. Ivy's new memoir called Dear Father: Breaking the Cycle of Pain. These are just a few of the events taking place from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Check website for more details.
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Join Michaela Angela Davis and special style council members Bevy Smith, Emil Wilbekin, Guy Wood, and Dapper Dan for a community discussion on identity, culture, and style at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. MAD Free and Schomburg Center will present a dynamic multi-platform conversation celebrating the diversity, creativity, and intelligence of self-expression of black men through style uniquely found on the streets of Harlem. Join in on the conversation and don't forget to dress Harlem Sharp for a chance to be a part of a live fashion shoot with Mangue Banzima of Quistyle.
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Stop by the New-York Historical Society and check out the powerful photo exhibit by Stephen Somerstein. Freedom Journey 1865: Photographs of the Selma to Montgomery March features historic images documenting the Selma-to-Montgomery Civil Rights March in January of 1965. At the time, Somerstein was a student at City College of New York's night school as well as Picture Editor of his student newspaper when he traveled to Alabama to join the momentous event. Ultimately, he became a physicist but upon retirement in 2008, he returned to his love of photography. Come see the hundreds of photos he took during the 54-mile march, where he gained unfettered access to such notable figures as Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and James Baldwin. Exhibit runs through July 12th. Check website for museum hours.
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In honor of Black History Month, visitors who take a tour of The Louis Armstrong House Museum will receive a limited edition museum collectible created from its archives. This year's collectible is a Jack Bradley print of Louis Armstrong from the "To Jack Bradley, the 'Greatest Photo Taker'": Treasures from the Jack Bradley Collection. Tour the house of the world's most famous jazz musician and enjoy audio clips from Armstrong's homemade recordings that range from him practicing his trumpet to talking with his friends. Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday until 5 p.m.
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Carly Petrone is a freelance writer living in New York City.
