Celebrate Black History

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Through these community programs, educational exhibits and lively concerts during Black History Month in February, your family can explore rich African American culture.

Stories & Music

Greene Street Friends School in Phila. hosts a free Black History Month speaker series for adults and children ages 10 & older. Todd Bernstein reflects on the evolution of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Feb. 3; author Lorene Cary discusses her book The Price of a Child, about the Underground Railroad, on March 8; and filmmaker Louis Massiah shows clips from his documentaries on urban communities, March 17. Pre-register.

Harriet Tubman puppet showThe puppet show Irrepressible Araminta: The Harriet Tubman Story creates an interactive journey into the African American struggle to gain freedom, Feb. 6-8, at the Lansdale Center for the Arts. Ages 6 & up. $5.50-$10.50.

Families can enjoy a jazz concert from the Tony Day Quartet at the Noyes Museum of Art in Oceanville, NJ, Feb. 6, $10.

Join storyteller Sangay Miller at the Kirkwood Library in Wilmington, DE, as she weaves a collection of stories from Africa, Feb. 6. Pre-register.

The Universal African Dance & Drum Ensemble perform at the Kimmel Center in Phila. on Feb. 6, 11am, for free. They'll also be at the Garden State Discovery Museum in Cherry Hill, Feb. 20, free with admission, $9.95.

Experience Phila. in the '60s and '70s, and learn how past events connect to present day, during Get Up & Get Into It!, a Black History Month production from New Freedom Theatre, Feb. 12-21. Recommended for ages 10 & up. $17.50-$20. Storyteller Tahira

The Keswick Theatre hosts the Hot 8 Brass Band during a school-day New Orleans jazz concert for kids, Feb. 18, $8. 

A University of Delaware concert, Molto Spiritual, on Feb. 19 in the Gore Recital Hall in Newark, DE features the renowned Morgan State University Choir. $7-$21.

Tahira presents African & African American stories and songs for kids at the Creative Living Room in Swarthmore, PA, Feb. 20. $5.

At a "Sweet Music in Harlem" event at the Camden County Library Voorhees Branch, kids can listen to jazz and make their own musical instruments for free, Feb. 27. Pre-register.

"American Dance from Africa to Broadway," Feb. 28 at the West Deptford Free Public Library in NJ, explores the evolution of American dance, from its African roots & European influences to Broadway & club dancing. Pro dancers demonstrate and encourage the audience to participate. Pre-register.

Museums, Tours & Exhibits

Weekends at the African American Museum in Phila. feature African dance workshops, drum circles and theater events. Free with admission, $8-$10.

Club Harlem exhibit photographThe Atlantic City Free Public Library and African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey present a free month-long exhibit at the Library, A Pictorial of Club Harlem and the Way We Were. The 100+ photos on display dating back to mid-1940s highlight famous and local African American entertainers.

At The Crayola Factory in Easton, kids can help paint a diversity mural and participate in an essay contest about famous African Americans in history. Throughout Feb., bring a non-perishable food item for charity and receive $1 off admission. Regular admission, $9.75.

The National Constitution Center in Phila. celebrates Black History Month with several daily programs throughout February. An interactive Breaking Barriers show looks at the lives of Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson & other notable African Americans. Families can also check out a special Civil War program, Decoding the Document: Emancipation Proclamation, or go on a self-guided tour of artifacts & displays that explore African American history. Free with admission, $8-$12, ages 3 & younger free.

Learn about African animals that reside at the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington, DE and enjoy African crafts, arts, stories & music, Feb. 19, $2.

Celebrate African cultures at the Penn Museum in Phila. on Feb. 20 with traditional storytelling, dance & music performances, workshops, kids' activities and gallery tours. Free with admission, $6-$10. Also on Feb. 20: historical re-enactments at the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, PA (admission charged) and a lesson about African American sailmaker James Forten at the Independence Seaport Museum in Phila. Free with admission, $7-$12.

Go on an engaging tour to learn about the Civil War, and hear stories about those who committed to the struggle against freedom at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Phila., Feb. 27. $10-$15, children free.

Stephanie Halinski is calendar editor of MetroKids.

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