Baltimore celebrates Black History Month
National Great Blacks in Wax Museum is one of many places to celebrate Black History Month.
Black History Month — created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a renowned African American historian, scholar, educator and publisher — began as “Negro History Week.” It became a month-long celebration in 1976, and the month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
Baltimore actually began its Black History Month celebration in January with a parade to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But February offers a full complement of activities in recognition of the individuals and accomplishments of the African American community.
Saturday, Feb. 4+
To Catch a Thief Tour
3 p.m., USS Constellation historic ship, 301 E. Pratt St.
www.historicships.org/constellation.html
Every Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. during Black History Month, Historic Ships in Baltimore will offer its To Catch a Thief Tour aboard the USS Constellation. These tours focus on the ship’s capture of the slave ship Cora in 1860, and its general role in the fight against the international slave trade.
Saturdays in Feb.
Free Tours Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park Museum
Noon to 4 p.m., Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park Museum
www.douglassmyers.org
Throughout the month of February, in celebration of Black History Month, the museum will be open every Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. for tours at no charge.
Saturday, Feb. 11
Baltimore Black Memorabilia Fine Art & Crafts Show
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.
www.lewismuseum.org
Spend the day acquiring black memorabilia, fine art and crafts. Meet Malcolm X’s daughter, Ilyasah Al-Shabazz, for a book signing.
Saturday, Feb. 11
Creativity Exchange: Intersections between Black Artists & Black-Owned Businesses
Noon to 5 p.m., The Baltimore Museum of Art
www.artbma.org
Participate in a lively discussion with Baltimore-based artists and entrepreneurs about the unique ways they collaborate on innovative projects. Chat with the panelists, network with others during the reception and vendor fair, and join in a free workshop to creatively strengthen your business skills. Space in the workshop is limited. Reserve your ticket at artbma.org.
Feb. 14-20
Frederick Douglass Week Tours
Contact Lou Fields, (443) 983-7974
Join BBH Tours to celebrate the life of abolitionist Frederick Douglass with lectures, re-enactments, tours and discussions.
Thursday, Feb. 16
Third Thursday Late Admission and Music
5 to 8 p.m. at Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.
$8 members/$10 non-members
www.lewismuseum.org
Enjoy late-night admission to the galleries and a live musical performance. Doors open at 5 p.m., with performances beginning at 6 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 16
Book talk and reception for Never Caught: Ona Judge, the Washingtons, and the Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave
5 p.m. reception followed by talk at Mason Hall Auditorium, 3101 Wyman Park Drive
Free, advance registration requested
(410) 516-5589
Historian Erica Armstrong Dunbar, professor of black studies and history at the University of Delaware, discusses her new book, recounting the powerful narrative of Ona Judge — George and Martha Washington’s runaway slave who risked it all to escape the nation’s capital and reach freedom. The event is hosted by Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood Museum, an 1801 National Historic Landmark property built by Maryland’s Carroll family.
Saturday, Feb. 18
The Gigi Gumspoon Show
2 p.m. at Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.
Sing along with early childhood teaching artist Gigi Gumspoon as she promotes the African philosophy of “Ubuntu,” a sense of community and humanity.
Sunday, Feb. 19
“Olympic Pride, American Prejudice”
2-3:30 p.m. at Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.
Follow the 18 African American athletes who defied Adolf Hitler and Jim Crow to win hearts and medals at the 1936 Olympics. A post-film discussion with filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper and local Olympians will follow.
Wednesday, Feb. 22
Artist Talk: “Seventeen Men: Portraits of Black Civil War Soldiers”
6:30 p.m. at Evergreen Museum & Library, 4545 N. Charles St.
Michigan artist Shayne Davidson discusses her exhibition, “Seventeen Men: Portraits of Black Civil War Soldiers,” on view through June 4 at Johns Hopkins University’s Evergreen Museum & Library.
Free. Advance registration is requested by calling (410) 516-0341. Walk-in registration is based on seating availability.
Saturday, Feb. 25
Verizon Open House at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.
Free
Verizon sponsors this annual event, and provides programming and information tables related to black organizations.
Saturday, Feb. 25
Tea and Tour with American Girl Doll Addy Walker
2 p.m. at Mount Clare Museum House, 1500 Washington Blvd.
$6 members/$10 non-members
American Girl Doll Addy Walker was an enslaved girl who sought freedom with her mother in Philadelphia. Learn about the difficult decisions Addy had to make, and her adjustment from slavery to freedom, during this tea for children ages 4 to 12. The event includes tea, conversation, crafting a wooden spool doll like Addy’s, and a tour of Mount Clare that explains the history of slavery at Mount Clare and in Baltimore.
Saturday, Feb. 25
Black History Month Lunch Cruise
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Spirit of Baltimore, 561 Light St.
This cruise will include a lunch buffet, and feature a special narration highlighting moments of black history across Baltimore’s waterfront. A DJ will play a set list in tribute to notable African-American artists, including Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Diana Ross, Prince and others.
Through Feb. 28
“Makers of the Railroad: African Americans on the B&O”
The B&O Railroad Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate
The exhibition includes rare images from the B&O Railroad photograph collection, uniforms of dining car porters, baggage and equipment used by African American workers for passenger service, and the history of African Americans on the railroad — serving as porters, waiters, chefs and innovators.
Through Dec. 31, 2017
“Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male”
Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.
“Sons” is more than a photographic study of the modern African American male. It is also an examination of how African American men are perceived. From this microcosm of African American males, visitors can learn of some of the realities and challenges facing them.
Through Feb. 28
The Eubie Blake Cultural Center
One Baltimore family, three generations of photographers, documenting the strength, beauty and pride of the African American community during 1940’s-’60s segregation and the Civil Rights Movement.
February
The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum
Celebrate Black History Month throughout the entire month of February at the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. The museum hosts an assortment of events, including roundtables, documentaries, panel discussions and more.
For more information on Baltimore’s celebration of Black History Month, visit http://baltimore.org/article/black-history-month-baltimore or call VisitBaltimore at 1-877-BALTIMORE.
