Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements and contributions made by black Americans. Locally, there are several ways to celebrate.
Love art? Check out:
- Women of a New Tribe, on display through April 15 at the Flint Institute of Arts. More than 50 Flint-area, African-American women are featured in this exhibit, which is modeled after high glamour photography of the 1930s and 40s Hollywood. Artist Jerry Taliaferro traveled to Flint to photograph each woman and learn her story during the summer of 2016.
- African American Artists of Michigan, on display through March 3 at The Greater Flint Arts Council.
- Where Do We Go From Here? at the MW Gallery, home of the Mott-Warsh Collection, a private collection of fine art created by artists of the African diaspora. The exhibition examines many of the national and international social and political issues of the day through the work of abstractionists, photojournalists, figurative and conceptual artists.
Are you a history buff? Be sure to visit:
- Berston Field House, which became one of the Midwest’s first integrated facilities of its kind in 1930. It’s also where many notable athletes – including former NBA star Morris Peterson and Olympian Claressa Shields – got their start.
- The Genesee County Courthouse, where an outdoor history marker details the city’s abolitionist movement and its connection to former slave Robert J. Cromwell.
Want to catch a local performance? Save the date for:
- The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 at The Flint Youth Theatre (Feb. 11-12, 27-19, 24-26). Based on the fictional book by Flint-native Christopher Paul Curtis, “The Watsons” tells the story of an African-American family who travels to Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. During their visit, tragic events take place that affect the whole family.
- Hold On, Change is Coming, which will be held at the Flint Institute of Music, Morning Star Baptist Church, Bethel United Methodist Church and St. Mark Baptist Church (Feb. 16-19, 26). All performances in this celebration of black history through music, dance and narrative, are free and open to the public.
Looking for some thought-provoking discussion? We recommend:
- Tendaji Talks at the Flint Public Library on Feb. 16. As part of the year-long series – which explores how to dismantle racism, white power and privilege in Flint – Bob Brown will share “White Father, Black Son: Reflections on the Journey.”