Artwork by Diane Wilbon Parks
By Rachel Kiser
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
Here's a look at events taking place in Alexandria to celebrate Black History Month:
Lectures and Concerts
Madam CJ Walker: Her Life and Business
Feb 10 | 7 p.m. – Virtual
Historical re-enactor Shelia Arnold will join the discussion in character as Madam CJ Walker to talk about her life, career and fight for equality. Walker was the first African American female millionaire, the marketer for popular hair care products and activist for equality in economic development. This event is free and registration is required. For more information visit the registration site.
Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech Discussion
Feb 19 | 3 p.m. – Virtual
Professor Don Boileau, a retired communications professor at George Mason University, will be discussing King’s “I Have a Dream” speech by assessing King’s use of imagery, metaphor, sentence structure, and message in this insightful discussion. Registration for the talk is required. For more information visit the registration site.
Virtual Concert: Washington Revels Jubilee Voices
Feb. 20 | 2 p.m. – Virtual
Established in 2010, the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices tells the story and preservation of African American traditions through a cappella, music, and dance. Ticket costs for this virtual concert are $6 and available to all audiences. Guest will be emailed the Zoom meeting link to view the concert by noon the day prior to the concert. Ticket sales will close Feb. 20 at noon.
Lecture: You Will Find it Handy-The Green Book
Feb. 24 | 4 p.m. – Virtual
The 2018 award-winning movie, The Green Book, is inspired by the true story of a jazz pianist and his bodyguard traveling through the deep south while on tour. The Green Book, originally published by Victor H. Green, provided a list of businesses that welcomed African Americans in order to reduce threats that made travel unsafe for African Americans. Principal Planner for the City of Alexandria, Susan Hellman, will discuss the businesses in Virginia that were featured in The Green Book and explore their impact on history. Ticket costs are $6 and available to all audiences. Guest will be emailed the Zoom meet link to view the concert by noon the day prior to the concert. Ticket sales will close Feb. 24 at noon. Go here for tickets.
Black Oscars: From Mammy to Minny Presentation
Feb 24 | 7 p.m. – Virtual
Fredrick Gooding, a professor at Texas Christian University, has spent much of his career analyzing race in our media, specifically in Hollywood. In this insightful and timely talk, Gooding will discuss his book, “Black Oscars,” which analyses African American Oscar nominations, their Hollywood roles, and how they affect mainstream stereotypes. Registration is required.
Voices of Woodlawn: A Reckoning by Four Poets of America’s Slave Holding Past
Feb 25 | 12 p.m. – Virtual
Poets Diane Wilbon Parks, Patrick Washington, Sylvia Dianne Beverly, and Hiram Larew give a poetic voice to the lives of slaves at Woodlawn, a former plantation in Fairfax. Join in a spiritual and linguistic experience that confronts injustice, confusion, and a haunting history. For more information visit Woodlawn here.
Tours & Trails
Manumission Walking and Bus Tours
Explore historic Old Town and its history as one of American’s first main centers of slave trade. Manumission Tour Company offers guided walking and bus tours every weekend from February thru December that highlight Alexandria’s African American history. Their four tours offered include:
- “Freedoms Fights in Alexandria” 90-minute walk tour about Alexandria’s pre-Civil war history of slavery
- “Duke Street Black History” 90-minute walking tour about visiting sites connected to former slave trade
- “Still’s Underground Railroad” 90-minute walking tour centered around the 1872 non-fiction book, “The Underground Railroad.”
- “Black History in Alexandria” two-hour bus tour
Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $12 for children. Tour times and tickets are available online, at https://www.manumissiontours.com, and also at the Ramsey House Visitors Center.
Courageous Journey: Alexandria’s Black History Driving Tour
This eight-site self-guided driving tour allows you socially distance while exploring the history that shaped Alexandria. Sites include:
- Site of the 1939 Sit-In at the Barrett Branch Library
- Alfred Street Baptist Church
- Edmonson Sisters Statue
- Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery Memorial
- Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies
- African American Heritage Park
- Southernmost D.C. Cornerstone
- “The Fort” African American Community Site
Parking information for each site and Google Map directions can be found here.
African American Heritage Walking Trail Tour
This one-mile-long interactive trail from the North Waterfront Route to the corner of North Royal and Montgomery connects African American history to the interconnecting routes of Alexandria city. You are able to follow history through your smartphone on a tour of Alexandria’s history during slavery, the Civil war, and industrialization. Access the interactive tour and story map here for directions and historical information.
Story Time
Streaming Storytime with Miss Christian
Feb 18 | 11 a.m. – Virtual
Join Miss Christian for an interactive story time hat honors Black History Month by reading books written and illustrated by black authors. This story time is for children ages 0-5 and is free. Registration is required in advance.
Burke Book Club: “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson
Feb 18 | 3 p.m. – Virtual
Burke Library celebrates Black History Month with a discussion of Isabel Wilkerson’s compelling book, “The Warmth of Other Suns,” which tells the story of the exodus of millions of black citizens from the South in the 20th century. This program is free and will take place virtually. Registration is required, and you will be emailed a Zoom link after registering.
