During February, we'll tell you about the fun, educational and/or entertaining events tied to Black History Month, with a best bet pick every day.
Monday, Feb. 9
Roswell has some of the best Black History Month programming in the metro area under the banner Roswell Roots. Among the highlights are exhibits celebrating poet and playwright Langston Hughes and a show at City Hall called "Legends and Legacies," which focuses on the history of Negro League baseball. And most of it is free. You can find all of the events at the Roswell Roots Web site. "Legends and Legacies" Exhibit. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Through Feb. 28. Reception 3-5 p.m. Feb. 15, with former members of the Negro Baseball League and today's baseball stars. Free. Roswell City Hall, 38 Hill St., Roswell. 770-641-3705. Langston Hughes Exhibit. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays; noon-3 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb. 28. Free. Roswell Visitors Center, 617 Atlanta St., Roswell. 770-640-3253.
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Three comedy greats collide in "Harlem Nights." This 1989 film, written and directed by Eddie Murphy, brought three generations of black comedians together, as Murphy starred alongside Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx. The movie tells the story of a father-and-son team running a nightclub in late-1930s Harlem, while dealing with gangsters and corrupt police officials. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 10. Free. DeKalb Library-Wesley Chapel/William C. Brown Branch, 2861 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur. 404-286-6980, www.dekalblibrary.org/branches/wesley-chapel.html.
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Yale University professor Elizabeth Alexander, who you might remember as Barack Obama's inaugural poet, will read from her work at Emory University's Glenn Memorial Auditorium. 6-7 p.m. Feb. 11. Robert W. Woodruff Library, 540 Asbury Circle N.E., Emory University, Atlanta. 404-727-6887, marbl-dev.library.emory.edu.
Thursday, Feb. 12
Today offers an abundance of authors with fascinating stories to tell. Douglas A. Blackmon, Atlanta bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal, discusses his book, "Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans From the Civil War to World War II" 4-6 p.m. at the Georgia Tech Library, 704 Cherry St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-894-4529, www.library.gatech.edu. Reservations are recommended. Douglas R. Egerton will discuss and sign his new book, "Death or Liberty: African Americans and Revolutionary America" at 8 p.m. at the Atlanta History Center. $10; reservation required. 130 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W., Atlanta. 404-814-4150, www.atlantahistorycenter.com. Eric J. Sundquist, UCLA Foundation Professor of Literature, will discuss his book, "King's Dream," an examination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. 7:15-8:15 p.m. Feb. 12. Free. Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St., Decatur. 404-370-3070, www.dekalblibrary.org/branches/deca.htm.
Friday, Feb. 13
"Frederick Douglass: In the Shadow of Slavery" is a one-man play starring Mel Johnson Jr. It recounts the life of the exceptional 19th century abolitionist and author who rose from slavery to become one of the most prominent individuals in African-American history. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13. $12; $9 senior citizens; $5 children and students. Townsend Center for the Performing Arts, University of West Georgia, 1600 Maple St., Carrollton. 678-839-4722, www.townsendcenter.org.
Saturday, Feb. 14
Ladysmith Black Mambazo will probably always be best known in the United States for its work on Paul Simon's "Graceland." The Grammy-winning South African group has made loads of music of its own, all with the a cappella vocal ensemble's distinctive, immediately recognizable harmonic blend. 8 p.m. Feb. 14. $36-$62. Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-413-9849, www.rialtocenter.org.
Sunday, Feb. 15
Cathedral of St. Philip observes the Eucharist for the Feast of Absalom Jones. This service commemorates Jones (1746-1818), the first African-American Episcopal priest, who established the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia in 1794. 4 p.m. Feb. 15. Free. 2744 Peachtree Road N.W., Atlanta. 404-365-1052, www.stphilipscathedral.org.
