Black History Month
February is Black History Month, and we’ve compiled a list of events, exhibitions, and performances to help you take part.
We are lucky to live in a city with so many opportunities to learn about this rich history and participate in creating a brighter and more equitable future!
Confederates
Hattiloo Theatre
February 2-25, 2024
Hattiloo Theatre celebrates the regional premiere of Confederates, a new play by Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau. Confederates tells the story of two Black American women – one an enslaved rebel and the other a professor at a contemporary university – who, despite living a century apart, have similar experiences. The play explores the influence of racial and gender bias on American educational systems today.
Art of the African Diaspora
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
(Ongoing)
This ongoing exhibition of historic and contemporary art explores ever-evolving conversations about the African Diaspora, and encourages viewers to reflect on the effects of language and its ability to describe infinitely varied experiences. The Brooks Museum website asks viewers to consider the ways that “language can elevate groups that have been deliberately overlooked, create new connections, and inspire conversations.” The exhibit also explores the ways language might categorize people into boxes without fully acknowledging or celebrating fluid identities.
Afro-Latino Night Fiesta
Memphis Music Room
February 23, 2024
Celebrate Black History Month with Cazateatro’s Afro-Latino Night Fiesta. This exciting event celebrates the contributions of Afro-Latinos in America and Latin America through music. Featuring the Cazateatro Crew, DJ Xander, Los Jarochicanos, and Las Bompleneras, a six-piece all-female ensemble showcasing traditional and original Afro-Puertorican Bomba and Plena music.
Lest We Forget…Images of the Black Civil Rights Movement
The National Civil Rights Museum
December 8, 2023 – May 6, 2024
Lest We Forget… Images of the Black Civil Rights Movement is a traveling collection, showcasing 35 works of art by Robert Templeton. These images capture key moments from the Black civil rights movement.
Celebrate Black History Month Year-Round in Memphis
List of Venues from Memphis Travel
Year-Round
Provided by Memphis Travel, this list offers a selection of world-class opportunities to celebrate Black history in Memphis year-round. From the National Civil Rights Museum to the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, from Black History Tours to the Ernest Withers Collection, the history is deep and the options for celebrating that history are endless.
Memphis History and Black History can’t be separated from each other. We hope you take some time this month – and every month – to learn something new about our history and find ways to engage in the present, too!