Whether it’s hearing the big-band hits of Fats Waller or unearthing Emancipation-era diaries from the 1800s, there are many ways in D.C. to experience the historical contributions of African Americans throughout Black History Month. If you’re looking for a little education, and entertainment, here are seven essential events to check out:
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The Kennedy Center
Through Feb. 10, including a Millennium Stage performance
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to the The Kennedy Center to celebrate its 60th anniversary through ballet, modern and African dance performances. The company’s first two-act ballet, Revelations, will “address the racial inequities America faced when Alvin Ailey founded the company in 1958. Ticket holders for Friday’s show are invited to a post-performance discussion with renowned choreographer Rennie Harris.
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Signature Theater
Now until March 10
Step into the 1930’s Harlem Renaissance with the three-time Tony award winning play Ain’t Misbehavin’. The musical tribute celebrates Thomas “Fats” Waller’s life as a pioneer in musical theater history by featuring his famous jazzy tunes like “Off-Time” and “Black and Blue.”
Black Diamond Reprise
Discovery Theater, S. Dillon Ripley Center
Feb. 20-22 at 10:15 a.m.
See the challenges African American baseball players faced in their fight for equality in this family-friendly musical play at Discovery Theater. Moses “Fleet” Walker, the first African American major league player; “power hitter” Josh “Spitfire” Gibson; and Jackie Robinson, who integrated the sport are all part of this story of the men who changed their sport.
African-American Passages: Black Lives in 19th Century America
Library of Congress
Thursday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.
Adam Rothman, Georgetown University history professor and Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Kluge Center, presents his findings from the Library’s Manuscript Division of personal stories of African Americans throughout slavery, emancipation, and Reconstruction.
A Walk in Father Henson’s Footsteps
Josiah Henson Park, North Bethesda
Every Saturday in February, noon
Lace up your sneakers for this guided tour that retraces the steps of Rev. Josiah Henson on his quest for freedom using the Underground Railroad. Henson’s daring escape from his master’s plantation in Charles County, Maryland would later inspire Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
RIVERMENT: A Film Screening in Honor of Black Film
Wellspring Manor & Spa, Upper Marlboro
Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.
Explore how the fight for equality has changed over generations through the independent narrative film RIVERMENT. Spanning nearly 50 years, the film “discusses the generational differences between the Baby Boomers who participated in the Civil Rights Movement and millennials participating in Black Lives Matter.”
Black History Month Movie
Shirlington Branch Library
Every Friday in February at 4:30 p.m.
Visit the Shirlington Branch Library every Friday in February to watch historical fiction films like “Southside With You” that depicts the life of Michelle and Barack Obama before the White House, or “Glory”, the story of the first African-American regiment to fight in the Civil War.
This story originally appeared on WAMU.
