There’s a lot going on this month in honor of Black History Month. Do yourself a favor and experience some of it.
African Dancing & Drumming with Oneaka Dance Company
Who: Oneaka Dance Company
What: A chance to experience the dances, sounds and artifacts of Africa.
When: February 17. 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Mint Museum Randolph. 2730 Randolph Road.
Price: Free
Almost Perfect: The Panthers’ 2015 Season and the Cultural Landscape of the NFL
Who: UNC Charlotte College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Daniel Grano
What: Grano, an associate professor of communication, is leading a discussion centered around the NFL and its views on things like race, domestic violence and homophobia.
When: February 5. 12:00 p.m.
Where: Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. 420 South Tryon Street.
Price: Free
Black Gold: North Carolina Slavery and Reed Gold Mine Family Fun
Who: Reed Gold Mine
What: Tours that look at the way that slavery affected the social and economic environment during John Reed’s lifetime.
When: February 6, 13, 20 and 27. 1:00 p.m.
Price: $2. Kids under seven are free.
Black History Month Program
Who: Charlotte Museum of History.
What: A family program celebrating the history of African Americans.
When: February 13. 2:00 p.m.
Where: Charlotte Museum of History. 3500 Shamrock Drive.
Dr. Kenneth Janken and his new book, The Wilmington Ten
Who: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Johnson C. Smith University and Dr. Kenneth Janken
What: A reading from The Wilmington Ten: Violence, Injustice and the Rise of Black Politics in the 1970s by Department of African, African American and Diaspora Studies professor Dr. Kenneth Janken. Back story: The Wilmington 10 were 10 innocent civil rights activists convicted of arson and conspiracy in 1971. They served 10 years in jail before the convictions were overturned. The book takes a look at the complexity of the illegal machinations that were taken to convict them.
When: February 17. 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Grimes Lounge at Johnson C. Smith University. 100 Beatties Ford Road.
Price: Free
Forging Ahead
Who: Historic Rosedale Plantation
What: A tour through the Historic Rosedale Plantation complete with trained actors portraying slaves who actually lived and worked there.
When: February 27. 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Where: Historic Rosedale Plantation. 3427 North Tryon Street.
Price: $10 for the Forging Ahead program or $15 for the Forging Ahead program and a house tour.
People, Places, and Pride
Who: Levine Museum of the New South and the Charlotte Museum of History
What: People, Places, and Pride will explore the stories behind Charlotte’s historic black neighborhoods and current developments within these communities.
When: Sunday, February 28 at 2:30 p.m.
Where: Levine Museum of the New South
Price: Free.
Quiet Valor and Silent Strength + Panel Discussion
Who: Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture
What: A viewing of Quiet Valor and Silent Strength, a documentary about the United States Colored Troops and their roles during the Civil War, followed by a panel discussion.
When: February 11. 6:30 p.m.
Where: Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture. 551 South Tryon Street.
Price: Free
Shaping the Tar Heel Sound
Who: President James K. Polk State Historic Site and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
What: A three-part series that explores how African Americans shaped North Carolina music.
When: February 18 (6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.), 19 (3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.) and 20 (1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.).
Where: South County Regional Library. 5801 Rea Road.
Price: Free
Taking Down the Ropes
Who: Billy Graham Library
What: A special display about Billy Graham’s role in the civil rights movement, his friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. and the African American leaders who helped shape his ministry.
When: January 27 – February 29. 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: Billy Graham Library. 4330 Westmont Drive.
Price: Free
The Classic Black Cinema Series – Cabin in the Sky
Who: Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture
What: A film series designed to expose the community to the value that black film has had through the years. Cabin in the Sky tells the story of the Joe Jackson, who has been shot. His wife is afraid that he won’t make it to heaven and prays about it; when he’s visited by agents of the Lord and Lucifer, he gets six months to make things right.
When: February 14. 2:00 p.m.
Where: Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture. 551 South Tryon Street.
Price: Free with museum admission
The Movement Makers
Who: Levine Museum of the New South
What: Levine Museum Historian Brenda Tindal will moderate a panel conversation that includes veteran and current activists who will reflect on their experiences and what makes a social movement. The Movement Makers panel includes former Charlotte mayor Harvey Gantt, Nashville sit-in veteran Sandra Luster-Harper, Friendship 9 “Jail No Bail” sit-in campaign participant Clarence Graham, Cops & Barbers founder Shaun Corbett and community activist Danielle Adele Hilton.
When: Thursday, February 11 at 6:00 p.m.
Where Levine Museum of the New South
Price: Free. Click here to RSVP.
The Parchman Hour: Songs & Stories of the 1961 Freedom Riders
Who: Lee Street Theatre
What: A play about the 13 riders who boarded a bus in D.C. and headed for New Orleans by way of Mississippi and Alabama, but barely made it out of Alabama alive. It tells the story about the 300 other riders who followed the same path during the tensest part of 1961.
When: February 25 – March 5. 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Where: Lee Street Theatre & Performing Arts Center at the Tom & Martha Smith Event Center. 329 North Lee Street, Salisbury.
Did I miss something? Let me know: [email protected]
