Black history is immortalized across New York City’s streets, museums, and parks, to name a few. Butcome February, the city will host more than a plethora of events, celebrations, and educational spaces for locals and visitors to deepen their knowledge of Black history, in which it transcends.
Below are events in New York City — listed in chronological order — to engage with Black history.
Citywide
New York Public Library’s Black History Month
Join The New York Public Library during Black History Month for events and programs including live author talks and panels, book discussions, trivia, STEAM activities for kids, and more. Explore events and programs below foradults, kids, and teens.
When: StartingWednesday, Feb. 1
Where:NYPL locations across New York City
Manhattan
Central Park’s Arsenal Gallery: Heritage: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future in Black Art
Good Paying Jobs are Key to our Local Economy with Brian Lucas, CEO, Marcum Search
Schneps Connects
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This exhibition features artwork by NYC Parks’ employees who are exploring their Black heritage in a variety of media. The exhibition also includes selections from a collection of vintage hip-hop flyers and vintage invitations produced by NYC Parks’ Ebony Society.Artists included are Tuwanda Harmon, Preston R. Coston. Jr., Buddy Esquire (from the collection of Curtis Sherrod), Claudette Ramos, and Patrick Forman. Curated by NYC Parks’ Ebony Society.
When:Thursday, Feb. 2, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where:Arsenal Gallery, 3rd Floor, Central Park,830 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10065
The Schomberg Center’s 15th Annual Black History Month
The Schomburg Center presents the Harlem Chamber Players 15th Annual Black History Month Celebration. This live music concert will feature the world premiere of Aruán Ortiz’s Episodes in an Unforeseen Departure as well as solo works for piano and music by Valerie Coleman, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Terrance McKnight’s own juxtapositions of Langston Hughes’ poetry as spoken word over piano works by Beethoven.
When: Thursday, Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd. New York, NY 10030
Chef Marcus Samuelsson and the Hav & Marteam will offer a delicious and unique prix-fixe menu every Monday in February. Ingredients from the menu will be sourced from Black-owned or managed companies.The restaurant will invite guest hosts for each dinner:Klancy Miller: Author of For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Foodon 2/6,Thelma Golden: Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem on 2/13,Dapper Dan: Harlem fashion icon on 2/20,Derrick Adams: Visual artist & Creative Partner who created Hav & Mar’s site specific work We Are From The Water Tooon 2/27.
Guests can enjoy the Black History Month prix-fixe dinner for $85/pp (optional wine pairings at $55/pp or spirit-free beverage pairing at $35/pp).
When: Starting Monday, Feb. 6, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where:Hav & Mar, 245 11th Ave, New York, NY 10001
The National Jazz Museum Concert: Imani Rouselle
Imani Rousselle, a Texas-born singer who has skills beyond her years when it comes to interpreting and delivering the healing powers of song. Whether covering jazz standards or performing her own contemporary compositions, the voice within Imani invites you to follow along as they fill the space between the silence with carefully crafted sound.
When:Friday, Feb. 10, 6 p.m.
Where:Hansborough Recreation Center, 35 West 134th St, New York, NY 10037
Black History Month Game Jam
Ever dream of designing your own video game? If so, join us for Black Web Fest game jam. It will be a weekend-long event where underrepresented creators come together to learn how to develop video games. This event provides early-career and aspiring game developers with an opportunity to build a playable game, learn from industry experts and connect with their community. We will provide free food and drinks throughout event and will be giving away over $500 in cash and prizes.
When:Friday, Feb. 17, 6 p.m. – Sunday, Feb. 19, 2 a.m.
Where: TBA, New York, NY
Big Onion Walking Tour’s Historic Harlem: Celebrating Black History Month
Our Harlem guided tour emphasizes the artistic, literary, and musical flowerings of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. Learn how this period laid the intellectual foundation for the early Civil Rights Movement. Stops could include the Abyssinian Baptist Church, Striver’s Row, the Apollo Theater, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Hotel Theresa, and sites associated with W.E.B. DuBois, Madame C.J. Walker, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Carl van Vechten, and many others.
When:Saturday, Feb. 18, 1 p.m.
Where: In front of the Schomburg Center, northwest corner of 135th Street & Lenox (Malcolm X) Avenue
The Shabazz Center’s Living The Legacy: The 58th Commemoration of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz
Join The Shabezz Center as it commemorates the 58th memorial of Malcolm X’s martyrdom with keynote speaker, Dr. Angela Davis and others! More information to come soon.
When:Tuesday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.
Where:The Shabazz Center, 3940 Broadway, New York, NY 10032
Apollo Theater: Black History Month
Since opening its doors in 1914 and introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo has played a major role in the emergence of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, and soul — all quintessentially American music genres. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and countless others began their road to stardom on the Apollo stage. Today, the Apollo is a respected not-for-profit, presenting concerts, theatrical and dance performances, film screenings, education and community outreach programs.
When:Starting Thursday, Feb. 2
Where:Apollo Theater, 253 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027
The Met’s Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room
This period room rejects the notion of one historical period and embraces the African and African diasporic belief that the past, present, and future are interconnected and that informed speculation may uncover many possibilities. Powered by Afrofuturism—a transdisciplinary creative mode that centers Black imagination, excellence, and self-determination—this construction is only one proposition for what might have been, had Seneca Village (a 19-century, community of free, Black landowners where a part of Central Park now exists) been allowed to thrive into the present and beyond.
When:Ongoing
Where: The Met, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028
Tenement Museum’s Reclaiming Black Spaces
The Tenement Museum’s permanent initiative, Reclaiming Black Spaces,highlights stories of how Black and African Americans shaped this part of the city as they made homes, businesses, and communities in Lower Manhattan.
When: Ongoing
Where: Tenement Museum,103 Orchard Street,New York, NY 10002
Studio Museum: Black History Month
The Studio Museum in Harlem is the nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally and for work that has been inspired and influenced by Black culture. It is a site for the dynamic exchange of ideas about art and society.
When:Starting Wednesday, Feb. 1
Where:The Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 West 125th Street,New York, New York 10027
African Burial Ground National Monument
African Burial Ground is the oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in North America for both free and enslaved Africans. It preserves and illustrates the historic role slavery played in building New York.
When:Ongoing
Where:African Burial Ground National Monument, 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007
United Nations Black History Month Tour
The Black history-themed tour of the United Nations will grant you a unique look at the Ark of Return, a permanent memorial in honor of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, located on the United Nations Visitors Plaza. The special tour will also include access to the Security Council Chamber, the Trusteeship Council Chamber and the General Assembly Hall.You will learn about the contributions of people of African descent to the work of the United Nations in fields such as peace and security and human rights, with a special emphasis on decolonization.
When: Starting Thursday, Feb. 2
Where:United Nations Headquarters, 801 1st Avenue at 45th Street, New York, NY 10017
Fotografiska Museum: 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the most powerful cultural movement of our generation, hip-hop. Together with Mass Appeal, Fotografiska is creating the definitive destination for celebrating hip-hop’s global impact on visual expression – a traveling exhibition and immersive experience bringing together a community of artists who have documented this cultural phenomenon. The exhibition will premier in January 2023 across two floors of Fotografiska New York and will remain in view through May 2023.
When: Ongoing through May
Where:Fotografiska Museum,281 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10010
The Museum at FIT’s Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style
Over the last half century, hip hop has taken over the world.As the invention of Black and Brown working class youth, hip hop style has been criticized, stereotyped, and oversimplified in the ways that institutional racism affects most marginalized people’s cultural expressions.Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous focuses on several themes that have carried through hip hop style over the last five decades, from the expression of Black Pride, to the centrality of outerwear and denim, and the influence of sports, and, of course, celebrity style. The exhibition ends with Hip Hop Glam—a red carpet of the avant-garde styles that hip hop artists have showcased on the world stage.
When: Starting Wednesday, Feb. 8 – April 23
Where: Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, 227 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001
Brooklyn
Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturday: Legacy
Ring in Black History Month and celebrate twenty-five years of First Saturdays! This month’s theme honors the legacy of Black artistic production in Brooklyn. The evening’s events vibrate with the creative excellence of Black artists who are shaping the borough’s culture today and of throwback performers who put First Saturdays on the map.
When: Saturday, Feb. 4, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Where: Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway,Brooklyn, NY, 11238
Central Library’s Classical Interludes: Harlem Chamber Players
The Harlem Chamber Players is an ethnically diverse collective of professional musicians dedicated to bringing high-caliber, affordable and accessible live classical music to people in the Harlem community and beyond. In addition, The Harlem Chamber Players builds diverse audiences for classical music in general through community and educational outreach, as well as through collaborations with Harlem’s other arts organizations, schools and cultural institutions, while creating opportunities for classically trained musicians of color.
When:Sunday, Feb. 12, 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Where:Central Library, Dweck Center,10 Grand Army Plaza,Brooklyn, NY11238
Frolic Burlesque at C’mon Everybody
Black history month is filled with Black art and we are excited to share the stage woth a beautiful all black burlesque cast. Featuring host Foxy Belle Afriq, Poison Ivory, Rain Supreme, Qualms Galore, Queerly Femmetastic and Susie Dahl.Black and POC vendors will be on site, and guests can enter a raffle with products from Black-owned businesses.
When:Thursday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m.
Where: C’mon Everybody,325 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Shop Black: A Black History Month Pop-Up Shop
Come support small Black-owned businesses and artisans at this Pop-Up Shop for Black History Month.
When:Saturday, Feb. 18, 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Where: New Women Space, 188 Woodpoint Road, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s Black Future Festival
Join Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a week of reflection and future-forward fun inspired by the national celebration of peoples of the African Diaspora and Black History Month. Together with festival curator Àṣẹ Dance Theater Collective, experience interactive dance performances, storytelling, genealogy workshops, art-making in the ColorLab art studio, tasty food, and more.
When: Sunday, Feb. 19, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Brooklyn Children’s Museum,145 Brooklyn Avenue,Brooklyn, NY 11213
Drunk Black History Comedy Show
Comedians Brandon Collins (SXSW) and Gordon Baker-Bone (MTV) host this interactive show where prominent Black historical figures will finally get their due through drunken anecdotes from booked guests.
When: Thursday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m., doors at 7 p.m.
Where: The Bell House, 149 7th Street (Between 2nd and 3rd Ave) Brooklyn, NY 11215
Green-Wood Cemetery’s Black in Brooklyn Trolley Tour
In honor of Black History Month, Green-Wood presents this celebration of the unique stories of Black lives in Green-Wood. While Brooklyn and New York City have long struggled with segregation and racism, they also have a history of diversity, progress, and activism. This trolley tour, led by Green-Wood Historian Jeff Richman, will examine the life and accomplishments of many prominent Black New Yorkers, as well as several abolitionists who fought for freedom in America.
When: Saturday, Feb. 25, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where: The Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Center for Brooklyn History Talk: Partners in the Struggle: Brooklyn NAACP and the Black Church, Part 2
Join the Brooklyn Public Library for this two-part series about the role of Brooklyn’s Black churches in the fight for social justice, presented in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Brooklyn Chapter of the NAACP. Part 1 takes place virtually. Part 2 takes place in-person.
When: Monday, Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where:Central Library, Dweck Center,10 Grand Army Plaza,Brooklyn, NY11238
Queens
Queens Theatre’s Every Body Move
Queens Theatre, in partnership with the acclaimed Camille A. Brown & Dancers, welcomes girls and teens for a fun, 12-part series of freedance workshops. CABD’s Every Body Move program fosters and nurtures everyone’s innate creativity through social dance workshops, which joyfully celebrate the rich legacy and history of African American and African diaspora-based movement traditions found in social dance.
When:Saturdays, starting Feb. 4 to May 11
Where: Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave South,Flushing Meadows-Corona Park,Queens, NY 11368
King Manor Museum’s Hands on History: Supreme Black History
Come celebrate with King Manor Museum as they highlight Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice and lawyer in the Brown v Board of Education court case (1954), and current Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to be on the Supreme Court. Rufus King, like them, was a lawyer and has a collection of wooden gavels made from the trees in his yard. Come design your own gavel to hold your own mock trials and inspire a future career in the justice system.
When:Saturday, Feb. 18, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: King Manor Museum,150-03 Jamaica Avenue Queens, NY 11432
Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning’s Queen Bess (The Bessie Coleman Story)
This special play will celebrate the life and career of Bessie Coleman. Coleman was the first African American, and the first Native American to receive her international pilot’s license. Queen Bess (The Bessie Coleman Story) By Tommie J. Moore was a hit in JCAL’s script development series Meet the Playwright, and will now be presented as a full length play.
When: Thursday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. to Saturday, March 4, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Where: Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning,161-4 Jamaica Avenue, Queens, NY 11432
Sedalia to Harlem: A Celebration of Black History Through Song
JoinMusica Reginae Productions founder Maestro David Close as he returns to host and guide you through musical gems of the jazz, opera and African American Spiritual genres, tracing the rich tradition of black music, art and culture in America.
When: Saturday, Feb. 25,7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where:Church In the Gardens, 50 Ascan Avenue Queens, NY 11375
Louis Armstrong House Museum
The Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives is open to the public, offering guided tours of Louis’ longtime home. On the tour, audio clips from Louis’ homemade recordings are played, and visitors hear Louis practicing his trumpet, listening to music, or talking with his friends. Visitors also get to enjoy an exhibit on Louis’ life and legacy, and the Armstrongs’ beautiful Japanese-inspired garden.
When:Ongoing
Where: The Louis Armstrong House Museum, 34-56 107th Street, Queens, NY 11368
The Bronx
Bronx Library Center’s Journaling: Reflecting on Black History
Join Bronx Library Center for their monthly journaling session where you will be given prompts and questions to help spur your writing which can help you reduce stress, gain confidence and find inspiration.Using a variety of prompts and tools you will explore the importance of Black history and celebrating Black history month, including built-in writing time and an opportunity to shareat the end of the program.
When: Tuesday, Feb. 7, 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Where:Bronx Library Center, 310 E Kingsbridge Rd, The Bronx, NY 10458
The Universal Hip Hop Museum Anchored in the birthplace of the culture, the Universal Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx will provide a space for audiences, artists, and technology to converge, creating unparalleled educational and entertainment experiences around the Hip Hop culture of the past, present, and future. This year is the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop!
When: Ongoing
Where:Universal Hip Hop Museum, 610 Exterior Street, The Bronx, NY 10451
Staten Island
Sandy Ground Historical Museum
Staten Island’s Sandy Ground holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously inhabited free Black settlement in NYC, dating back to the early 1800s. The society helps preserve that history through exhibitions, activities and events.
When: Ongoing
Where: Sandy Ground Historical Museum, 1538 Woodrow Rd, Staten Island, NY 10309
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