See the shows and museum pages for more celebrations of African-American Heritage. Black History Month at Mount Vernon, February 1 - 28, 9am – 4pm, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, Virginia 22309 . In observance of Black History Month, Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, interpreters highlight at the slave quarters the lives and contributions of the slaves who built and operated the plantation home of George and Martha Washington from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
A wreathlaying and presentation occurs daily at the slave memorial site at 12:00 p.m. throughout the month of February. A daily 1:00 p.m. Slave Life at Mount Vernon tour explores the work and home life of the slaves. On Saturdays and Sundays in February from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., visitors learn about life as a slave with “Silla” or “Slammin’ Joe,” two of Washington’s slaves, at the slave cabin. Included in Estate admission. Admission Rates are $15 for adults, $14 for seniors 62 and over, $7 for ages 6-11 and under 6 is free. For more information see www.mountvernon.org. African-American Heritage Walking Tour, Feb. 6- 27, Saturdays at 1pm, Annapolis City Dock, Information Booth, Annapolis, Maryland 21403. This unique walking tour traces the rich history of African Americans in Annapolis and their impact nationally and internationally. For more information call 410-268-7601 or see www. watermarkjourney.com. African-American History Month Family Day: Celebrate the Harlem Renaissance Stories and Songs from the Slave Cabin, February 14, 2pm, Hampton National Historic Site, Towson, Maryland 21230. Celebrate Black History Month with storytelling, African-American spiritual singing and special talks on slavery at Hampton with a special tour of the Overseer's House and Slave Quarters. For more information call 410-823-1309 or see www.nps.gov African American Family Festival, February 27, 10am -5pm, the Walters Art Gallery, 600 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21201. Free. Celebrate African American heritage as we travel through time, trek across the globe, and discover how we are all connected. Play with a giant map, work together on collaborative art projects, and create your own African-inspired masterpieces! Explore all corners of Africa as we listen to stories told by East and West African storytellers, dance along during a South African performance, and get swept away in a very special grand finale presentation of The Pulse of Africa! Don’t miss this festive celebration where art, people, and history come together! The place to be for Black History Month is Prince Georges County. Dozens of programs showcasing African-American history and culture are being offered throughout the month, something almost every day. Festivals, shows, concerts, tours, exhibits, living history, lecutres, contests and so much more. To see all the many programs go to www.pgparks.com/blackhistory. Here is some of what is being offered: Story and Artifact Display Thursday, February 4, 3-4 pm, William Beanes Community Center, 5108 Dianna Drive, Suitland 20746. Lawrence Thrash presents “A Black History Gullah,” a story about a young boy and his family. Then, view an African artifact display with history artifacts and learn about African American biologist Ernest Just. Ages 5-12; FREE. For more information call 301-568-7719. Going the Distance, Thursday, February 4, 4:30-5:30 pm, Suitland Community Center, Black History Step Show Friday, February 5, 7-10 pm, Marlow Heights Community Center, 2800 St. Clair Drive, Marlow Heights 20748. Step teams from local schools, churches and community organizations will portray various African American experiences in this spirited tradition. All ages welcome. Fee: PG Resident $2; Non-Resident $3. For more information call 301-423-0505. Buffalo Soldiers, Friday, February 5, 6-8 pm, Rollingcrest-Chillum Community Center The Bentley Family of Upper Marlborough Fridays, February 5, 12, 19 & 26 Gospel Kickoff, Saturday, February 6, 4-6 pm, Suitland Community Center African American Dance Ensemble, Saturday, February 6, 8 pm, Publick Playhouse African American Heritage Sites Tour Saturday, February 6, 10 am-3 pm, Patuxent Community Center, 4410 Bishopmill Drive, Upper Marlboro 20772. Come for a self-guided tour to discover the rich heritage in our county. Stops will include Charles Duckett’s Log Cabin, Columbia Air Center, and Mount Calvert Historical and Archaeological Park where 51 enslaved African Americans lived and worked on a plantation. Space is limited. Pre-register (in person) at the center. Ages 10 & up. Life on the Plantation: African American History Tour Saturday, February 6, 12 noon-4 pm, Tours: 12 noon, 1 pm, 2 pm & 3 pm, Marietta House Museum, 5626 Bell Station Road, Glenn Dale 20769. Join us for a special tour that focuses on the daily lives of the slaves who lived and worked at Marietta Plantation. Reservations not required. Black History Month Opening Reception & Exhibition: Honor Roll of Excellence: Prince George’s County Schools Named for African Americans Sunday, February 7, 2-4 pm, Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington 20744. The Prince George’s County School System has recognized the legacy of numerous African Americans by naming schools in their honor. In this year’s Black History Month Exhibition 2010, The Maryland-National Capital Park Planning Commission highlights their lives and accomplishments. See the unveiling of the 2010 BHM poster designed by students from Eleanor Roosevelt H.S., a project led by art teacher Becky Thomas and resident artist Billy Colbert. Reservations required. Black History Cinema: Black Magic Monday, February 8, 6-8 pm, Prince George’s Plaza Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville 20785. Samuel L. Jackson and Wynton Marsalis narrate this ESPN documentary chronicling the civil rights movement as experienced by black college basketball players and coaches who were a part of these events. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-864-1611. African American Heritage Tour Wednesday, February 10, 9 am-3 pm, Temple Hills Community Center, 5300 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills 20748.Take a closer look at Prince George's County's African American history sites. Visit Charles Duckett Freedman's Cabin, Columbia Air Center (the 1st licensed African Kids’ Day Out: Lions of Industry, Mothers of Invention, Wednesday, February 10, 10:30 am, Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington 20744. Unknown history is revealed as we learn about the giants of African American business and innovation. Do you know about the amazing ghost story of hair care entrepreneur Madame C.J. Walker? What about the paintings of agricultural chemist George Washington Carver, who made over 300 products from the peanut? Or the hilarious antics of George Crum, the inventor of the potato chip? ‘Host’ Booker T. Washington, mixes media and audience participation and brings these champions to life. Grandma’s Cautionary Tales, Thursday, February 11, 1:30 pm, Baden Community Center, 13601 Baden-Westwood Road, Brandywine 20613. Actress Debra Mims transforms herself into Grandmother Sally Kathryn Mims to tell ghost stories and folktales of African, African American and Caribbean literature. Ages 5-12; FREE. For more information call 301-888-1500. Follow the Drinking Gourd, Friday, February 12, 7-8:30 pm, Clearwater Nature Center Art Display and Gullah Cultural Storytelling, Friday, February 12, 3-4 pm, Patuxent Community Center, 4410 Bishopmill Drive, Upper Marlboro 20772. View a historical art display and listen to a “Gullah” story. Gullah stories reflect the traditions of West African and European cultures, which came together in the Sea Island communities of South Carolina and Georgia. Ages 6-11; FREE. For more information call 301-780-7577. Nada Brahma’s “World Music Concert”, Friday, February 12, 7 pm, Vansville Community Center, 6813 Ammendale Road, Beltsville 20705. Join us for an energetic, interactive performance that explores the vital core that music plays in many world cultures. Experience a variety of musical styles and instruments from the Caribbean, Andes Mountains, Central and Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-937-6621. Celebrating Black History at its Best, Friday, February 12, 11 am-12:30 pm, Glassmanor Community Center, 1101 Marcy Avenue, Oxon Hill 20745. Relive the civil rights movement by listening to personal stories of those who survived the trials and tribulations of that era. Engage in a Q&A session and answer trivia questions for prizes. Children will enjoy face painting. Light refreshments served. Ages 17 & under; FREE. For more information call 301-567-6033. Black History Extravaganza, Saturday, February 13, 5-7 pm, Glassmanor Community Center, 1101 Marcy Avenue, Oxon Hill 20745. Watch the unique talents of African dancers and drummers, and enjoy songs, stories, and poetry readings as we celebrate these influential aspects of African American culture. Door prizes will be awarded and light refreshments served. All ages welcome. Fee: PG Resident $3; Non-Resident $6 Black History Storyteller, Saturday, February 13, 11 am-12:30 pm, Berwyn Heights Community Center, 6200 Pontiac Street, Berwyn Heights 20740. Enjoy a visit from Baba Jamal, a great storyteller of African American history. Light refreshments will be available. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-345-2808. Step into Africa with an African Dance Show, Saturday, February 13, 7-9 pm, Marlow Heights Community Center, 2800 St. Clair Drive, Marlow Heights 20748. Be part of the festivities as we celebrate Black History Month. Watch a performance by African dancers as they bring the tribes and heritage of Africa to the audience. All ages welcome. Fee: PG Resident $5; Non-Resident $7. For more information call 301-423-0505. Lions of Industry, Mothers of Invention, Saturday, February 13, 1:30-3 pm., Stephen Decatur Community Center, 8200 Pinewood Drive, Clinton 20735. Unknown history is revealed as we learn about the giants of African American business and innovation. Learn about hair care entrepreneur Madame C.J. Walker and about the paintings of agricultural chemist George Washington Carver, who made over 300 products from the peanut. ‘Host’ Booker T. Washington leads the discussion through mixed media and audience participation. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-297-4648. Buffalo Soldiers’ Reception, Saturday, February 13, 2-4 pm, Cedar Heights Community Center, 1200 Glen Willow Drive, Seat Pleasant 20743. Come for a reception honoring Buffalo Soldiers who were members of the historic 92nd Infantry Division from WWII. Many of these men made their homes in Prince George’s County, including Richard Johnson, William Gray, Joseph Stephenson, and Captain Charles H. Lancaster, one of the few black commissioned officers during WWII. Other Buffalo Soldiers from the region include Howard Fletcher, Albert Burke, Joseph Hairston, and Norris Bucksell. These men were featured in the 2008 People Magazine photo spread honoring Spike Lee’s movie, Miracle at St. Anna. The reception will include a presentation of the Governor’s Proclamation. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-773-8881. Expressions of a People, Sunday, February 14, 1-6 pm, Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington 20744. Expressions of a People, a free Black History Month celebration of performances, children’s activities, workshops and entertainment, has something for everyone. This year’s festival will feature arts & crafts, caricature drawings, a puppet show, a movie room for the kids, and musical performances, including appearances by renowned gospel singer Robert Pearson, the Oxon Hill High School Gospel Chorus, and others. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-203-6070. African Storytelling, Tuesday, February 16, 3-4 pm, William Beanes Community Center Family Movie Night– Barack Obama Biography, Thursday, February 18, 5 pm, Langley Park Community Center, 1500 Merrimac Drive, Hyattsville 20783. Watch this inspiring biography of President Barack Obama’s life, from his childhood in Hawaii to his history-making presidential win. Light refreshments will be available. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-445-4508. Black History Cheerleading Competition, Friday, February 19, 7-9 pm, Potomac Landing Community Center, 12500 Fort Washington Road, Fort Washington 20744 Black History Yesterday and Today, Friday, February 19, 4:30 pm, Deerfield Run Community Center, 13000 Laurel-Bowie Road, Laurel 20708. Enjoy the art of storytelling through an African drum and dance performance. Then play a “Who’s Who in Black America?” game. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-953-7882. Ordinary People…Living Their Extraordinary Dreams, Friday, February 19, 4-7 pm African American Heritage: Historic Sites Bus Trip, Saturday, February 20, 9:30 am-5:30 pm. Visit the Charles Duckett Freedman’s Cabin, Columbia Air Center – the first African American airfield – Northampton Slave Quarters, and Dorsey Chapel, along with other African American historical sites. Fee includes transportation, admission and lunch. Reservations required. Please note: This trip departs from the parking lot at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center, 14900 Pennsylvania Avenue, Upper Marlboro 20772. All ages welcome. Fee: $25/person. Sponsored by Natural and Historical Resources Division. For more information call 301-627-2270. A History of Hip-Hop, Saturday, February 20, 5-7 pm, Good Luck Community Center The Legacy of Thurgood Marshall, American Revolutionary, Saturday, February 20, 12 noon-3 pm, Tucker Road Community Center, 1771 Tucker Road, Fort Washington 20744. You’re invited to an afternoon celebrating the life of Thurgood Marshall. Through performances, readings, music and activities, learn about this monumental figure in American legal and education history. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-248-4404. Art Display and Gullah Cultural Storytelling Saturday, February 20, 1-2 pm, Patuxent Community Center, 4410 Bishopmill Drive, Upper Marlboro 20772. View a historical art display and listen to a “Gullah” story. Gullah stories reflect the traditions of West African and European cultures which came together in the Sea Island communities of South Carolina and Georgia. Ages 6 & up. Fee: $3/person. For more information call Musicology, Experience it for Yourself, Saturday, February 20, 11 am-1 pm, Temple Hills Community Center, 5300 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills 20748. In this interactive program, explore call and response, ring shouts, beatboxing, scatting, blues, hip-hop, jazz, rap, rhythm and blues, swing and more. Connect the story, the music and the history of African American music. A light brunch will be served. Reservations suggested. The Plummers’ Kitchen, Sunday, February 21, 12 noon-3:30 pm, Riversdale House Museum, 4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park 20737. Join the Riversdale Kitchen Guild in the dependency kitchen as they recreate early-to-mid-19th century, traditional African American foods, similar to what the Plummer family who lived and worked at Riversdale might have eaten. A guided tour of the main house included. All ages welcome. Fee: $3/adult; $2/senior; $1/ages 5-18; FREE ages 4 & under (includes tour of house). For more information call 301-864-0420. The Ties that Bind: Tying the Past to the Future, Sunday, February 21, 2-4 pm, Prince George’s Ballroom, 2411 Pinebrook Avenue, Landover 20785. Enjoy fun activities including making a memory book, a historical picture walk, African dance and more. Buffalo Soldier, Tuesday, February 23, 10:15 am & 12 noon, Publick Playhouse Anansegromma of Ghana, Wednesday, February 24, 4-5 pm, College Park Community Center, 5051 Pierce Avenue, College Park 20740. Celebrate Black History Month with “royal elders” and musicians of a typical West African Village. Through “call and response” songs, games, and drum rhythms on authentic instruments, Anansegromma offers an engaging, first-hand exploration of West African cultural traditions. African American History in Washington, D.C. Tour, Wednesday, February 24, 7:30 am-2 pm, Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington 20744. Come on an interesting and informative tour in Washington, D.C. Travel to four sections of the city and learn about the history of slavery, civil rights, and education. The 4-hour itinerary includes Lincoln Park, historic U Street, Ford¹s Theater, Peterson’s Boarding House, the Lincoln Memorial and Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Along our journey, we’ll stop for lunch at a famous soul food restaurant. Fee includes transportation, tour, and lunch. For Ages 6 & up. PG Resident $60; Non-Resident $72. For more information call 301-203-6000. Black History Jeopardy, Thursday, February 25, 5:30-7:30 pm, Prince George’s Plaza Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville 20782 . Think you know black history? Test your knowledge by playing this triviastyle game. Prizes awarded. Reserve your spot by February 19. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call Everybody’s Hero: “The Jackie Robinson Story”, Friday, February 26, 10:15 am & 12 noon, Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly 20784. At the beginning of the summer of 1947, television was brand new, the sound barrier had not been broken, and baseball was a white man’s game. By the time fall arrived, all that had changed. President Truman addressed the nation for the first time on TV, Chuck Yeager flew faster than any man ever had, and Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play major league baseball. This play, featuring music by Mad River Theater Works, shows the events that shaped Jackie Robinson’s character, his struggle to gain acceptance, and the tremendous obstacles he overcame on his way to changing the face of our nation and our national pastime. Recommended for grades 3 & up. Tickets: $6/person; $5/person in groups of 15 or more. For more information call 301-277-1710. A Raisin in the Sun, Fridays & Saturdays, February 26 & 27 and March 5, 6, 12 & 13, 8 pm; Sundays, March 7 & 14, 3 pm, Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center “50 Greatest Basketball Players from the Washington Metro Area”, Saturday, February 26, 7-10 pm, Prince George’s Plaza Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville 20782. Come for a screening of the African American-produced documentary profiling the 50 greatest basketball legends from the Washington metropolitan area. Meet the producers and join in for a question and answer session of how and why the film was made. Reservations required by February 19. All ages welcome. FREE. For more information call 301-864-1611. 18th Century Bladensburg, Saturday, February 27, 10-11:30 am, Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg 20710. Learn about the importance of the African American contribution to the economic development of Bladensburg and Washington, D.C. This program will include a skit, presentation and West African refreshments. Reservations required. Space is limited. All ages welcome. FREE African American Festival, Saturday, February 27, 9 am-4 pm, Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover 20785. Celebrate Black History Month by taking a class or workshop focusing on black culture. Shop from a variety of vendors selling reasonably priced items. African Drumming Workshop, African Dance Class, Fashion Show, Ongoing Educational Workshops. End the day with a Jazz Concert (nominal fee). All ages welcome. FREE admission. For more information call 301-583-2582. PRAISE! Sunday, February 28, 4 pm, Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly 20784. The annual liturgical dance festival returns with top dance troupes from area churches. This year’s performance features gospel soloist Cora Harvey Armstrong, a widely known and admired singer whose voice has been compared to Mahalia Jackson’s. Drum Line Face-Off, Sunday, February 28, 3-5 pm, South Bowie Community Center
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