Virtual Events in Celebration of Black History Month: Part II

1. The Whaling Museum and Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor “Gone Whaling: Long Island Seamen of Color” Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 6:00pm EST Historian and author Sandi Brewster-Walker explores the unique traditions of Long Island whalers of color in honor of Black History Month.   2. East End Libraries “The Blues and Beyond” Saturday, February 20, 2021 at 2:00pm EST The Blues and Beyond tells the story of African Americans in the United States from slavery to the present day by exploring and documenting, with music, videos, narration and illustrations, the evolution of African American music alongside U.S. history.  From field hollers and camp meetings to old spirituals to the Blues to the popular genres of today, music is the means by which African Americans have told their story.   3. South Huntington Library “Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow” Monday, February 22, 2021 at 3:00pm EST This virtual tour from The New-York Historical Society explores Black Americans’ struggle for equality under the law from 1865 through World War I. Learn about both Southern and Northern roles in this dark chapter of our history, as well as Black New Yorkers’ organizing and community-building in the face of systemic racism.   4. Queens Botanical Garden “Celebrating Black Botanists” Wednesday, February 17 through Friday, February 19, 2021 at 10:00am EST Join Queens Botanical Garden on Zoom for an online family series celebrating Black achievements in the field of the botany. Workshops will feature prominent and relatively historical Black botanists and scientists, demonstrations of their discoveries, and suggested at-home activities inspired by their work. The program will also highlight current BIPOC-led organizations that are carrying on the legacy of their achievements. Advanced registration required for each session.   5. NYPL Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture “Mother Tongue: The Philosophy of Malcolm X” Monday, February 22, 2021 at 6:30pm EST Each year, the Schomburg Centers celebrates the life of Malcolm X during Black History Month – coinciding with the anniversary of his assassination on February 21, 1965. This year, our virtual program will feature a conversation and presentations by  Anna Malaika Tubbs , author of  The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation  and  Dr. Michael Sawyer , author of  Black Minded: The Political Philosophy of Malcolm X . Together, we will explore how Malcolm X’s mother’s language of liberation and resistance is foundational to his political growth, and examine his political philosophy of economic and social justice, strident opposition to white supremacy and Black internationalism.  Dr. Imani Perry , will moderate the conversation and offer a passage from her recent work,  Breathe: A Lesson to My Sons.   6. Brooklyn Academy of Music “The 35th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” All month long Held on Martin Luther King’s Birthday and online for the first time this year, the annual Brooklyn Academy of Music event featured a keynote address from Alicia Garza, a founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network; musical performances from PJ Morton, Tarriona “Tank” Ball and the choir Sing Harlem; along with poetry from Ashley August and Timothy DuWhite. Political appearances included Letitia James, the New York attorney general; Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York; as well as Mayor Bill de Blasio and Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York. 7. CT Historical Society “No Haven: Civil Rights, Black Power and Black Panthers in New Haven” Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 7:00pm EST Fifty years ago, Black Panthers Ericka Huggins and Bobby Seale were on trial for their lives in New Haven. In this virtual talk, Dr. Yohuru Williams, author of “Black Politics, White Power: Civil Rights, Black Power, and the Black Panthers in New Haven,” will look at how the Black Panthers Trials fit into the larger story of civil rights in the Elm City.   8. The Amistad Center and The Wadsworth Atheneum “Left on the Shelves: The Book Collection at The Amistad Center for Art & Culture” Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 5:00pm EST   The Amistad Center possesses a dynamic collection of books that range from first editions to manuscripts, fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, Abolitionist tracts, and volumes that represent the Civil Rights Movement. Explore the collection with Daniel Broyld, professor of history at Central Connecticut State University, to understand how the Amistad book collections connect the Black experiences of the past to the present. Co-Sponsored with The Amistad Center for Art & Culture and the Wadsworth Atheneum. 9. White Plains Library “Black History Month Trivia Night” Friday, February 19, 2021 at 7:00pm EST Held over Zoom, the Black History Month Trivia Night will cover a variety of topics including music, famous people, pop culture and historical events.   10. John Jay Homestead State Historic Site “Slavery and the Jay Family: A Seven-Generation Story” Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 7:00pm EST John Jay Homestead State Historic Site will present an illustrated online lecture entitled, “Slavery and the Jay Family: A Seven-Generation Story,” at 7 p.m. Founding Father John Jay was descended from three generations of enslavers. Jay himself is something of an enigma: he argued for abolition in the new state of New York as early as 1777 but did not abolish slavery in his own household for another four decades. His descendants include three generations who were abolitionists and civil rights activists.   11. Clay Art Center “Concepts of Clay: Artists of Color” All month long The virtual exhibit features the work of 10 Black ceramic artists from across the nation. including Kyle and Kelly Phelps, Nathan Murray, Syd Carpenter, Donte Hayes, Lydia C. Thompson, Adero Willard, Paul Briggs, Nathan Murray and Rich Brown.   12. Denver Public Library “Doc & Talk Series: Thunder Soul” Thursday, February 18, 2021 at 7:00pm MST This week the  Denver Public Library  will host a discussion about the documentary  “Thunder Soul,”  which follows alumni from Houston’s storied Kashmere High School Stage Band as they return home after 35 years to play a tribute concert for their beloved band leader who turned the struggling jazz band into a world-class funk powerhouse in the early 1970s. Watch the film at your leisure (available for streaming on Kanopy with your library card) anytime before the online video discussion.     13. Active Minds “Harriet Tubman” Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 3:30pm MST Born a slave in Maryland around 1820, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849 and became the most famous “conductor” of the Underground Railroad that led slaves to freedom through a complex system of secret people and places. Nicknamed “Moses” for her efforts, she made over 19 trips and helped free hundreds. Join Active Minds as we review her life and legacy, including her efforts fighting in the Civil War and later fighting for Women’s Suffrage.   14. Berklee College of Music “We Will Rise Summit” Friday, February 26, 2021 at 7:30pm EST Berklee College of Music will present a virtual performance celebrating Black musicians Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. on its YouTube channel during “We Will Rise Summit: Black Artists and the Soul of Our Music.” Faculty members Tia Fuller, Ruka White, and Val Jeanty “will draw on inspiration from gospel, soul, jazz, and dance, showcasing the talents of Berklee’s Black student community,” according to the school’s website. The program will include student speakers, words, dance, and music.   15. California African American Museum “Talib Kweli: Vibrate Higher” Monday, February 22, 2021 at 4:00pm PST Before Talib Kweli became a world-renowned Hip-Hop artist, he was a Brooklyn kid who liked to cut class, spit rhymes, and wander the streets of Greenwich Village with a motley crew of artists, rappers, and DJs. He was part of the first generation to grow up with Hip-Hop as established culture, complete with its own pantheon of heroes, rich history, and distinct worldview. Kweli returns to CAAM to discuss his candid memoir,  Vibrate Higher: A Rap Story , which illuminates his upbringing and artistic success, while also giving life to Hip-Hop as a political force—one that galvanized the Movement for Black Lives and serves as a continual channel for Black resistance.   16. YMCA South Florida “Systematic Racism in South Florida: The Past, The Present, The Future” Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 6:00pm EST The YMCA invites you to a virtual discussion that addresses systemic racism in South Florida – the causes, the affects, and more importantly, what we can do to help change it. Rudy Jean-Bart, Motivational Speaker, Professor and Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Broward College will moderate the event with panelists Dr. Melanie Acosta, Dr. Marvin Dunn and Dr. A. Gregory Salters.   17. Boca Raton Museum of Art “Florida Talks: Strange Fruit in Florida with Dr. Tameka Hobbs” All month long Dr. Hobbs, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and the Founding Director of the FMU Social Justice Institute at Florida Memorial University shares the story of Florida’s painful history of racial violence. Hobbs highlights civil rights activist Harry T. Moore’s fight against lynching and the Ku Klux Klan that led to his and his wife’s murder in a bombing of their Brevard County home. Strange Fruit refers to the 1937 song made famous by singer Billie Holiday about the lynching of African Americans.   18. The Center for African American Military History “A Sunday to Remember” Sunday, February 21, 2021 at 1:00pm CST This two-man show is part of the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum’s Living History program. In it, two men, Benjamin and Joe, will describe their involvement during the Civil Rights Movement, according to the museum’s website, including the March 7, 1965, march in Selma, also known as “Bloody Sunday.” Register here.   19. Houston Public Library “Race & Social Justice Book Club” Tuesday, February 23, 3031 at 7:00pm CST Join HPL’s monthly book club discussing race and social justice in America. This month the club is reading  Caste , by Isabel Wilkerson, which examines the underlying infrastructure on which race relations and social divisions are built.