Here are seven great events to celebrate and honor Black History Month, for everyone from movie buffs to outdoors lovers. We also want to recommend a trip to the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum if you haven’t been recently.
Saturday, Feb. 9
African American Firsts in Baltimore County
Learn more about some of the county’s pioneers and trailblazers. Can’t make this event? Check the online calendar for other events throughout the month. Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum, 1-3 p.m. Free. friendsofbenjaminbanneker.com
Sunday, Feb. 10
Wikipedia Edit-a-thon: Black History Month
Bring your laptop and become a Wikipedia editor for a day. Experts will be on hand to help with articles on African-American and Baltimore industry. Novices welcome. Advance registration recommended. Baltimore Museum of Industry, 12:30-3 p.m. Free. thebmi.org
Monday, Feb. 11 – Saturday, Feb. 16
Emancipation Proclamation Family Activities
Are there any history buffs in your family? If so, don’t miss your chance to view the original Emancipation Proclamation and learn more about this important document through hands-on discovery with your family and friends. National Archives, D.C., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. archives.gov
Saturday, Feb. 16
The History of the NAACP: The Baltimore Connection
This is a jam-packed afternoon that includes a film screening of “Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall & The NAACP” and a living history performance of activist Juanita Jackson Mitchell. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, noon. Included with admission. lewismuseum.org
Walking Tour of Annapolis
This two-hour tour highlights the achievements of African Americans in our state capital and includes highlights, such as the Kunta-Kinte Alex Haley Memorial and the Thurgood Marshall Memorial. Historic Annapolis, 1 p.m. $20, adults, $10 kids over three. annapolistours.com
Monday, Feb. 17
Voices from the Past: Sissieretta Jones
This annual Black History Month series will team up with the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA) to dedicate and remember the legacies of lesser known Black musicians, starting with Sissieretta Jones, who is best known as one of the first African Americans to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1892. Montpelier Arts Center, Laurel, MD, 4 p.m. Free. pgparks.com/2143/Montpelier-Arts-Center
Sunday, Feb. 24
Hampton National Historic Site Tour
Step back in time and find out what life was like in the 1800s on this former plantation. Tour includes the overseer’s house and slave quarters and is told through the perspective of the African Americans and indentured servants who worked there. Hampton National Historic Site, 1-3:30 p.m. Free. nps.gov/hamp
