Anne Arundel County and Annapolis are offering a variety of events in February to celebrate Black History Month, from art exhibitions and educational lectures to community gatherings honoring African American culture and contributions.
Since 1986, Americans have dedicated February to studying and honoring the traditionally underappreciated and oftentimes obscured history of Black Americans.
In Anne Arundel County, the library is holding events for all ages throughout the month. Programs are scheduled at nearly all of the county’s 16 branches, though some require registration. Many locations will also have books related to the month on display.
Events for young children include “ABC’s of Hip-Hop” on Feb. 8, 22 and 28. Baba Bomani, a children’s musician and educator, uses rhythm and rhyme to explain basic reading and math concepts. Kids will learn how to rap the alphabet backward while building active listening skills and learning Black history.
Kids 11 and up can watch “The Color Purple,” a movie adaptation of the Broadway musical about Black women in rural Georgia during the early 20th century, at Linthicum Library on Feb. 4 or Severna Park Library on Feb. 20. Both are based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker. They can also create a collage inspired by Black history on Feb. 19.
For an evening out, The State of Black Annapolis speaker series, put on by the City of Annapolis, celebrates local African American educators and entrepreneurs. Events will be held at Busch Annapolis Library every Tuesday in February at 4:30 p.m. Each week will have a different theme, ranging from “The Cost of Free Labor in Colonial Annapolis” to “How to Build a Black Art District in Annapolis.”
A complete list of Black History Month library events can be found on aacpl.net; there are 25 events as of Friday evening.
Other centers of history and art in the county will also have special events.
Annapolis is home to the Banneker-Douglass Museum, operated by the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. On Feb. 8, the museum will have an opening reception for “Sacred Spaces,” an art and augmented reality exhibition. The exhibit features artwork by Maryland-based artist Jabari Jefferson and explores the spiritual and cultural contributions of the African American community.
The Museum of Historic Annapolis is offering a day of educational family activities tied to Black history on Feb. 8. The event, presented by the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, will include an artist talk, a guided tour and opportunities to meet artists and curators.
The Hal Gomer Gallery at the Chesapeake Arts Center will highlight Black and African American artists and their contributions to social justice, cultural movements and activism. “Shadows of My Labor” is about the intersection of creativity and the fight for equality, exploring how art and labor work together to create social change.
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