It’s always a great time to learn about Black history — but in February, we have the opportunity to reflect more deeply on it, especially on a local level. Here are several ways locals can engage with Black history this month, including some off-the-beaten-path events and programs. Be sure to check the links in advance, as even some free events require registration.

LEARN ABOUT BLACK CHANGEMAKERS AT THE SMITHSONIAN: As part of its month-long celebration of Black artists, writers, activists, and other changemakers, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is hosting several events and providing resources online. Early in the month, the museum’s Sweet Home Café will explore Black food and hospitality with menu takeovers by different chefs, including Top Chef finalist Chris Scott, who will also do a book signing.

Other programs include a gel plate printing workshop inspired by archival images in the museum collection and special tours through the galleries. NMAAHC isn’t the only Smithsonian with special programming throughout the month — the institution has a webpage dedicated to the month with more offerings. For example, the Anacostia Community Museum, while closed through March 23, will host a virtual event about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on Feb. 1. (Dates vary; FREE)

LEARN ABOUT BLACK ARTISTS: The National Gallery of Art is hosting a month of programming that spotlights Black history, art, and stories. The museum is kicking things off with a Black History Month-themed First Saturday, NGA’s free, monthly pop-up event series. This one will include opportunities to make art inspired by Alma Thomas and Sam Gilliam, two of D.C.’s most famous artists; short films for young people that spotlight Black narratives; and performances by the D.C. Youth Orchestra of works by Black composers. Other NGA events include film screenings, gallery talks, and a sketch club inspired by the work of David Drake, the earliest known enslaved potter to inscribe his jars. (Dates vary; FREE)

ATTEND AN AUTHOR TALK AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY: The D.C. Public Library’s celebration of Black History Month this year “explores the unbroken chain of Black art passing between generations and the power that art has to drive change.” Highlights include a documentary screening (Invisible Beauty, Feb. 1); a book talk about HBCU history with NPR’s Ayesha Roscoe and Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones (HBCU Made, Feb. 5); and a talk with famous Star Wars actor Billy Dee Williams about his new memoir (What Have We Here? Feb. 15). Most of the events will take place at the MLK Library downtown, but there are some notable exceptions: such as an interactive performance on Feb. 7 at the Northeast Neighborhood Library by VOCA, a nonprofit for deaf and hard-of-hearing BIPOC artists; and a Feb. 23 discussion at the Southwest Neighborhood Library about James Armistead Lafayette, an enslaved man who spied for George Washington’s Continental Army. Other local library systems also have plenty of Black History Month events, including in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, Alexandria, and Arlington. (Dates vary; FREE)

GET FASHIONABLE: THEARC will host a fashion show inspired by Black history, with performances by comedian AnjeeWho and Southeast D.C. rap duo Da Fleet X. The show will feature clothing and jewelry from local designers and include a reflection on the significance of Black designers on the fashion industry. (Feb. 3; $10)

CELEBRATE BLACK BOYS: Building Bridges Across the River is hosting an event called “Celebrating Black Boys” that will begin with a screening of Black Boys, a 2020 film by Sonia Lowman and executive produced by Super Bowl-winning NFL safety Malcolm Jenkins that focuses on the experiences of Black youth. The discussion that follows will cover topics like mental health and the challenges facing Black boys today, while uplifting parents, educators, and mentors. (Feb. 24; FREE)

JOIN A LOCAL HISTORY TOUR: Prefer to engage with history by asking tour guides a million questions? There are plenty of local options for you. Off the Mall Walking Tours offers tours on the District’s jazz and Black theater history, as well as tours on the history of Black Georgetown and the D.C. alleyways that provided refuge for escaped enslaved people. Manumission Tour Company, led by Alexandria City Councilmember and fourth-generation Alexandrian John Chapman, has been guiding people through the Black history of Old Town by foot and bus since 2016. Local journalist and author Briana Thomas also offers tours of “Black Broadway” — D.C.’s U Street Corridor that was historically a boon for Black performing artists — though her next available tour is in March. (Dates vary; $12-$40).

CELEBRATE BLACK BALLERINAS: In light of its mission to ensure “all dancers feel seen and supported,” the Maryland Youth Ballet is hosting special classes and performances in February, both online and in-person. Located in Silver Spring, the MYB will host free classes each Friday that focus on a different dance tradition within the African diaspora. On Feb. 10, the school will screen the documentary Black Ballerina, followed by a panel discussion; and on Feb. 17, dancers from multiple organizations and schools across the region will collaborate for multiple performances throughout the day. MYB also makes its programming from previous celebrations available online. (Dates vary; dance recital on Feb. 17 costs $10-$25)

MORE: 

• There are a few ways to see oral historian Janice the Griot this month; she will share kid-friendly folktales from the African and African American tradition using puppets and instruments in Hyattsville at the beginning of the month and share a program called MoCo Lore in Montgomery County later in the month. (Prince George’s Publick Playhouse; Feb. 3; $6; Sandy Spring Museum, Feb. 18, $10)
• Hirshhorn curator Anne Reeve leads a tour through the Simone Leigh exhibit, a full-floor survey of the sculptor’s work that explores the experiences of women in the African diaspora. (Hirshhorn Museum; Feb.9; FREE)
• Celebrate Frederick Douglass’ birthday with a performance by the Washington Revels’ Jubilee Voices in Anacostia. (THEARC; Feb. 10; FREE)
• A history happy hour on the enslaved workers who built, lived in, and worked at the White House. (Sandy Spring Museum; Feb. 16; $25)
• Sista’ Martha beats the drum for Black storytelling, bringing stories of characters like Anansi, Alex Haley, and Sojourner Truth to life through poetry and song. (Glenarden Branch Library, Feb. 10; Beltsville Branch Library, Feb. 22; Joe’s Movement Emporium, Feb. 29; FREE)
• Many of the murals East of the River celebrate Black history, and this exhibit in Anacostia celebrates the mural-makers through 40 photos of two decades-worth of murals in Wards 7 and 8. (Phillips@THEARC; Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; ends Feb. 8; FREE)
• The National Park Service offers special talks and tours with park rangers all month long. The tours meet at monuments along the National Mall and cover the contributions of Black journalists, soldiers, and scholars. (Dates vary; FREE)

This post has been updated with additional events.