7 Easy Things You Can Do to Celebrate Black History Month

Black history and culture deserve to be celebrated every month of the year. Fortunately, February offers even more opportunities to engage with the black community and to expose ourselves to stories and histories that are often overlooked. One of the best ways to celebrate Black History Month is to seek out ways to learn about black history and culture in your local area. Here are seven easy and fun things that you can do in Boston to honor the power and resilience of the black community.

1. Walk the Black Heritage Trail


This 1.6 mile trail links fourteen sites in the Beacon Hill Neighborhood. Over the course of the trail, you'll learn about how African Americans in Boston lived, worked, raised families, worshiped, and fought to end slavery.

More information on the Black Heritage Trail



2. Visit the Museum of African American History


Located on the Black Heritage Trail, the Museum of African American History is New England's largest museum dedicated to preserving and interpreting the cultural contributions of African Americans. This month the museum is offering a special exhibit on Boston's rich musical history titled Jazz Scene in Boston: Telling the Local Story.

More information on the Museum of African American History



3. Become part of the Boston Black Restaurant Challenge


Back for its third year, the Boston Black Restaurant Challenge encourages people to support black-owned businesses by visiting at least one black-owned restaurant or bar a week. With around 70 restaurants participating, there's no shortage of choices.

More information on the Boston Black Business Challenge



4. Check out Boston's Children Museum's month-long celebration of Black History Month


If you and the kids are looking for something to do, Boston's Children Museum has lots of ongoing activities all month long. Stop by for "Living in Colors: Celebrating Black Life," a story-time and arts & crafts program to learn more about the history and contributions of African Americans with educator Ummil-khair Yusuf.

More information about Boston's Children Museum's Black History Month celebration



5. Visit the National Center of Afro-American Artists


Check out a wide-range of artistic media, including sculpture, painting, and photography, by black artists from all over the world. This impressive center is the largest independent black cultural arts institution in New England.

More information about the National Center of Afro-American Artists



6. Check out the Boston Public Library's annual "Black Is..." book list


Every year the BPL gathers a list of over 60 recent works, hand-picked by staff librarians, that examine the African American experience. The list includes a brief summary of each title and the BPL call number. Copies are available at all BPL locations.

More information about BPL's "Black Is" book list



7. See a performance featuring black artists


Over the course of the month, there are so many excellent plays and shows in the city that are created by and feature black artists. "Detroit Red" (running through February 16th) tells the story of Malcolm X's time in Roxbury during the 1940s. "Sweat" (running through March 1st and Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama) chronicles a group of people whose friendships are tested in an industrial, Rust-Belt town.

More information about Boston-area performances