Here’s why Black History Month is celebrated in February
Black History Month is celebrated in February to commemorate the rich history and achievements of African-Americans.
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Memphis, from the start, has been a wellspring and crucible for Black culture. As such, it offers several opportunities for reflection and recreation during February, which has been officially recognized by the federal government as “Black History Month” since 1976, when the commemoration was included as part of the country’s Bicentennial celebration.
Here are some Black History Month opportunities in Memphis.
‘Black Artists in America’
Running through March 29, the latest ambitious and illuminating exhibit at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens at 4339 Park is titled “Black Artists in America: From the Bicentennial to September 11.” The show includes more than 50 paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and other works created from 1976 to 2001 by such key figures as Faith Ringgold, Carrie Mae Weems, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Ernie Barnes (who painted the party scene seen in the closing credits to the comedy series “Good Times”) and auction-world superstar Jean-Michel Basquiat (a painting of his sold for $110.5 million in 2017). Visit dixon.org.
‘Dreamgirls’
The musical debuted on Broadway in 1981 and won six Tony Awards; the move adaptation, premiered in 2006, and earned Jennifer Hudson the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. Now, “Dreamgirls” — the dramatic, romantic and song-filled story of a Supremes-style pop group — is at the Hattiloo Theatre at 37 S. Cooper, with performances through March 8. Visit hattiloo.org.
‘Super Saturday’
The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Overton Park offers free admission from 10 a.m. to noon on Feb. 7. The museum calls it “Super Saturday,” and the intent is to enable families to focus on the numerous Black artists from Memphis and around the world in the Brooks collection. The Feb. 7 event will focus on Chakaia Booker, who is known for her “monumental creations made of reclaimed tires.” Visitors are invited to “make your own masterpiece” with materials supplied by the museum. Registration is required. Visit brooksmuseum.org.
Yellin & Lawson & ‘Nonviolent’
Memphis author Emily Yellin and John Lawson, the son of the late Rev. James Lawson, will take part in a public talk at 6 p.m. Feb. 20 at the National Civil Rights Museum on the subject of the new book, “Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love.” The book is a collaboration between Yellin and James Lawson, the civil rights activist, associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and key strategist during the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike who died in 2024 at 95. The event’s moderator is Carol Jenkins, former anchor of WNBC-TV News in New York. Local musicians will perform, and a book-signing will take place after the event. Released by Random House, the book has a Feb. 17 publication date. Visit civilrightsmuseum.org.
‘Collage Dance: Rise’
According to its website, the Memphis-based Collage Dance Collective “embodies the greatness of American dance and is at the national forefront of inspiring the growth and diversity of ballet.” The company’s latest work is “Rise,” a showcase for several pieces, including “The Cotillion,” a new ballet by Kevin Thomas inspired by “the enduring legacy of Black cotillions in the American South.” Also on the program will be “Flack,” inspired by the music of Roberta Flack, and “Rise,” set to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “Mountaintop” speech, which King delivered at Mason Temple in Memphis on April 3, 1968 — the night before he was murdered. Performances are at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20 (a “student matinee”), and at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 21-22. Visit collagedance.org.
Dom Flemons and ‘The Bronze Buckaroo’
A longtime member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and a “neotraditional” banjo player and multi-instrumentalist with a deep knowledge of the Piedmont blues and “oldtime” country music, Dom Flemons returns to Memphis on Feb. 23 with a unique program he’s calling “The Bronze Buckaroo Film & Songster Show.” Spotlighting the underappreciated history of America’s Black cowboys, the first half of the show will feature Flemons performing songs from his album “Black Cowboys,” backed by footage from “The Bronze Buckaroo,” a 1939 film starring the great hero of “race” cowboy movies, Herb Jeffries. For the second half of the show, “Act II,” Plemons will perform songs that guide the audience “through a century of American roots music,” according to publicists. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime is at 7:30 p.m. in The Green Room at Crosstown. The show is presented by the Memphis singer-songwriter alliance, Folk All Y’all. For tickets or more information, visit crosstownarts.org.
‘Our Stories Matter’
Organized by Black Children’s Books and Authors, a group dedicated to promoting literature for children and young adults created by Black writers and artists, a free “read-in” will be held from 1-2:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar. Children and adults can volunteer to be out-loud readers, and authors will meet-and-greet participants. Light refreshments will be served, and some children will win books as prizes. As the BCBA motto states: “Let’s Read, Remember and Respect Our History!” Visit memphislibrary.org.
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