Celebrate Black History Month at one of the many exhibits, concerts, and workshops happening around the city.
Feraba African Rhythm Tap Duet at Brooklyn Public Library
February 14
1-2pm
Come see the Feraba dance ensemble, which performs dances, rhythms, and songs from Guinea in addition to American tap dance. At this interactive performance, the audience will learn how American tap dance is rooted African music and dance. African “shakers” and small drums will be provided to kids and their families. Free, 1-2pm. Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, bklynlibrary.org
Celebrate Black History Month–George Washington Carver Workshop at the Queens Botanical Garden
February 17
1:30-3pm
Learn about George Washington Carver’s important contributions to the world of botany at this hands-on workshop. Discover his achievements in botany, agriculture, botanical illustration, medicine, and more. Paint with plants and plant a peanut to take home! Registration required. $5 per person, 1:30-3pm. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main Street, Flushing, Queens, queensbotanical.org
Makers Making History: A Black History Month Celebration at CMOM
February 14-22
Various times
Join the Children’s Museum of Manhattan for a week-long festival featuring contemporary artists and performers in celebration of the African-American community’s contribution to the arts. Activities include memorial design with Harlem historian John Reddick and caxixi rattle building with Kevin Nathaniel, a world music pioneer and instrument craftsman. Free with museum admission, 10am-5pm except on Saturdays, 10am-7pm. The Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, cmom.org
Apollo Theater Open House
February 21
12-5pm
The Apollo Theater is hosting a free afternoon of community programming in celebration of Black History Month. Visitors can explore the theater and stand on the stage where musical legends have launched their careers, hear true stories about the Apollo, the Tree of Hope, and Harlem told by members from the Storytelling Center of New York, enjoy live music, and participate in a family storytelling workshop with the Pickney Players (suggested for ages 6 and up). Free, 12-5pm. The Apollo Theater, 253 West 125th Street, apolloeducation.org
See “The Migration” at the Arsenal Gallery
Through February 24
Various times
Visit Central Park’s Arsenal Gallery for an exhibit focused on artistic depictions of “The Great Migration”–the historical period when roughly six million African American descendants of the antebellum South left for northern and western cities. 22 artists share their interpretations of this demographic shift and its impact. Free, 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Arsenal Gallery, Central Park at 64th Street and Fifth Avenue, nycgovparks.com
Black History Month Festival at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Through February 28
Various times
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is celebrating Black History Month with a variety activities throughout the month as well as of musical performances. On February 7, see Janice Marie Robinson’s Melodic Magic perform an interactive, soulful concert. On February 19, join the museum for a sing-a-long featuring cherished songs from the African-American spiritual tradition. Grace Drums will perform an African and Caribbean-inspired show on February 21, and the Phantazia String Players will give a Black History Month-themed performance on February 28. Free with museum admission, various times. 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, brooklynkids.org
Visit the Louis Armstrong House Museum
Through February 28
Various times
Did you know that Louis Armstrong and his wife settled in Corona, Queens, in 1943 and lived there for the remainder for their lives? At the Louis Armstrong House Museum, visitors can tour the jazz legend’s longtime home and hear audio clips of his homemade recordings, see an exhibit on his life and legacy, and visit the Armstrongs’ Japanese-inspired garden. In honor of Black History Month, during February the museum will explore how Armstrong’s music influenced world music and the Civil Rights movement. While supplies last, visitors will receive a complimentary limited edition Jack Bradley print of Armstrong. Adults $10, Children $7, Children under 4 free; Tuesday-Friday: 10 am-5 pm, Saturday-Sunday: 12 pm-5 pm. 34-56 107th Street, Corona, Queens, louisarmstronghouse.org
“Freedom Journey 1965: Photos of the Selma to Montgomery March” at the New-York Historical Society
Through April 19
Various times
Come see Stephen Somerstein’s photographs documenting the January 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery Civil Rights March. Somerstein joined marchers to gain an inside look at the movement, and gained access to figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, James Baldwin, and Bayard Rustin. Free with museum admission, Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday, 10am-6pm; Friday, 10am-8pm; Sunday, 11am-5pm. 170 Central Park West at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street), nyhistory.org
