In 1986, Congress designated February National Black History Month, encouraging the American people to observe the history of Black Americans with activities and ceremonies. Now, cities around the country celebrate the month with a calendar full of events. If you’re looking for things to do in Atlanta to take part in Black history month, there’s no shortage of events and activities.
See the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
From Feb. 16-19, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform at the Fox Theatre. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was founded in 1958 by Alvin Ailey with the mission of showcasing African American dance. This month, dancers will put on five performances with critically acclaimed “Revelations” as the finale. Tickets for this event are available at alvinailey.org along with the Fox Theatre’s website or at the Fox Theatre box office.
Feb. 16-19. $29-$89. Fox Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. foxtheatre.org.
Visit the National Center For Civil And Human Rights
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights opened in June 2014. Throughout the year, the museum is dedicated to highlighting the accomplishments of the American civil rights movement and the worldwide human rights movement. Along with their exhibitions of artifacts from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the center hosts various performances and lectures for the public. Tickets to visit can be purchased on the center’s website.
100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., Atlanta. civilandhumanrights.org.
Credit: File photo / AJC
Credit: File photo / AJC
Visit the King Center
Like the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the King Center provides opportunities for the public to learn about Black history and the civil rights movement. At the center, attendees can visit the crypt of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King and the Eternal Flame which symbolizes the ongoing movement to achieve King’s vision for equality. Admission to the King Center is free and a map of the campus can be found at thekingcenter.org..
449 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-526-8900, thekingcenter.org.
Credit: Reann Huber
Credit: Reann Huber
Attend Atlanta Black Expo
On Feb.11, Urban Atlanta & Taste Urban Atlanta will host a Black business expo. Urban Atlanta is dedicated to providing spaces for Black business owners to connect with each other and the community. Taste Urban Atlanta works to uplift Black food business owners. This event will feature music, food and drinks with plenty of opportunities for shopping, networking, family fun and more.
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 11. $15; VIP $45. Cobb Galleria Centre, 2 Galleria Parkway SE, Atlanta. atlblackexpo.com.
Jim Hill’s ‘Born to Be’
Jim Hill is a self-taught mosaic artist who will have his first big show at age 75 in February. Because his family couldn’t afford to buy paint, Hill chose torn paper as his medium. His work concerns the history of slavery and racism in the U.S. The show, titled “Born to Be,” will feature work that goes back to the early ‘60s but also includes Hill’s latest collection “A Piece of Life,” which offers large-scale mosaics of civil rights leaders. The show opens with a reception from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 9 at Mason Fine Art.
Through Feb. 28. Mason Fine Art, 764 Miami Circle NE, Suite 150, Atlanta. 404-879-1500, masonfineartandevents.com.
‘Remembrance as Resistance: Sweet Auburn Rise’
Atlanta artist and activist Charmaine Minniefield’s Praise House Project has placed place site-specific art installations in locations throughout the metro Atlanta area, including 2021′s “Remembrance as Resistance: Preserving Black Narratives” in Oakland Cemetery. In honor of Black History Month 2023, the project will mount a series of site-specific public art installations, exhibitions, and programs in downtown Atlanta, along Auburn Avenue in the King Historic District. The installations will explore the history of the 1906 Race Massacre and the legacy of Black resistance.
Feb. 3-5. Find a full schedule of planned activities online. Along Auburn Avenue, Atlanta. praisehouseproject.org.
Credit: Deana Lawson
Credit: Deana Lawson
Deana Lawson
Covering a period of 15 years, the first museum survey of the work of Brooklyn, New York-based photographer Deana Lawson is on its final tour stop at the High Museum through Feb. 19. The show blends her composed, staged domestic portraits with found photography, advertising imagery, holograms and crystals. “Her images of Black men, women and children become chronicles of the beauty of ordinary lives and its pleasures and pathos,” wrote AJC visual arts critic Felicia Feaster in her review. Join co-organizer Eva Respini of the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston and director of New York University’s Center for Black Visual Culture Deborah Willis at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 ($20) for a discussion of Lawson’s work.
Through Feb. 19. $16.50, ages 6 and above; free for children 5 and younger and members. High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-733-4444, high.org.
Roswell Roots
The annual Roswell Roots festival offers a series of events honoring Black History Month and will get under way on Feb. 3 with the Black Opry Revue at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center. Music and storytelling will highlight the contributions of Black country artists, taking on perceptions of what it means to be a country musician in America. They’ll also stage the play “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman” as part of the Family Series on Feb. 3 and 4. The one-woman show will tell stories both familiar and rarely heard about the Underground Railroad conductor. Check the Roswell Roots website for a complete schedule of events.
Black Opry Revue: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3. $27.50-$32.50. “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman”: 10 a.m. Feb. 3-4. $12. Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell. 770-594-6232, roswellroots.com.
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