BLACK
HISTORY MONTH
A Month-Long Celebration of African
American History
FEBRUARY 2010
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
CELEBRATING OUR SHARED HISTORY
“The History of Black Economic
Empowerment”
Black History Month
is the successor to Negro History Week which was initiated on February 12, 1926
by Carter G. Woodson, a pre-eminent historian and founder of the Association
for the Study of Negro Life and History. Woodson was concerned that the
contributions of Black Americans were overlooked or misrepresented and he began
lobbying for Negro History Week as early as 1915. He selected February because
it included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick
Douglass (February 14) whom he believed had dramatically impacted the lives of
Black Americans. In 1976, Woodson's legacy, now renamed the Association for the
Study of Afro-American Life and History, successfully lobbied to extend Negro
History Week into a month-long observance. This year we celebrate the 33rd
Anniversary of Black History Month.
In honor of its founder, the Association for
the Study of African American Life and History devotes the 2010 Annual Black
History Theme to Black Economic Empowerment. The
need for economic development has been a central element of black life. After centuries of unrequited toil as slaves,
African Americans gained their freedom and found themselves in the struggle to
make a living.
During the month of February, National Capital Region sites will have
events, exhibits and tours associated with African American History. All
activities are free, except where noted. All are open to the public. Dates,
times and information are subject to change. Please watch for updates.
CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT THE FREDERICK DOUGLASS
HOME
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., February 1-28
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site,
1411 W Street, SE, Washington, D.C.
The tours of the Home of Frederick Douglass
provide more information about his later life and government service. For groups of 10 or more please call for reservations. Reservations to
tour the newly restored home can be made by calling 1-877-444-6777 or by
visiting internet at www.recreation.gov. For
more information call 202-426-5961.
MARY McLEOD BETHUNE
COUNCIL HOUSE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Tours on the hour,
throughout the month of February
1318 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
Mary McLeod Bethune
was one of the first African American leaders to recognize the need to preserve
historical records, especially those pertaining to African American women. For
groups of 15 or more please call for reservations. For further information call
202-673-2402.
CLARA BARTON NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Tours on the hour,
February 1-28
Clara Barton National Historic Site, 5801
Oxford Road, Glen Echo, MD
Commemorate African American History Month as
you learn about Clara Barton and the early history of the American Red Cross.
Special photographic exhibits highlighting the American Red Cross Sea Islands
Relief Efforts of 1893 and 1894 and an exhibit entitled – Clara Barton: Equal
Justice for All will be shown as part of the house visit. For further
information call (301) 320-1410.
LIVING HISTORY PROGRAM AT THE WHITE HOUSE VISITOR CENTER
1:00 p.m., Every
Thursday during the month of February
White House Visitor Center 1450 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.
Black History Month is a remembrance of
important people and events. It is celebrated during the month of February as
well as the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and
social condition of African Americans: President Abraham Lincoln and
abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass. Both men made historic
contributions to the effort of extending to all citizens, irrespective of race,
America’s founding
principles of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assembly,
due process of law and that we are all endowed with certain unalienable rights.
The rangers at President’s Park are
pleased to present interpretive talks on the historical events that shaped
history through past President’s
accomplishments. Sign up at the Visitor
Center Information Desk. For additional information call (202) 208-1631.
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN INFLUENCE
During the month of February
Catoctin Mountain Park, Visitor Center, 6602 Foxville Road, Thurmont, MD
The story of our
heritage is not complete until we recognize the contributions of every culture in
the American tapestry. Come to the Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center during
the month of February to view the special display, “African-American
Influences” in northern Frederick County. Presented in conjunction with
African-American History Month, this exhibit provides an overview of
African-American contributions to the development of Frederick County, MD.
HISTORY AT ANTIETAM
During the month of February
Visitor Center, 5831 Dunker
Church Road, Sharpsburg, MD
During the month of February explore the museums exhibits in the visitor
center. Take the self-guided auto tour through the battlefield. The tour has 11
stops and begins at the Dunker Church. Join a Park Ranger for a battlefield
talk to include “Freedom at Antietam.” “For further information please call
301-432-5124.
BLACK HISTORY AT MANASSAS
During the month of February
Park Visitor Center, 12521 Lee Highway, Manassas, VA
During the month of February join a Park Ranger for the First Manassas tour,
ask about “Baptism of Fire” and learn about Lucy Griffith. For further information please call
301-432-5124
FORD’S THEATRE
CELEBRATES ABRAHAM LICOLN’S BIRTHDAY
Throughout the month of February
511 10th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Ford's
Theatre Society and the National Park Service will celebrate Abraham Lincoln's
birthday with special programming including live performances and interpretive talks.
To enhance the visitor experience, park rangers and volunteers will be dressed
in Civil War-era period clothing, throughout the month. Tickets to Ranger Programs are free and
required for all visitors ages two and older. A visit to the Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site may include visiting the
redesigned museum, experiencing an
interpretive Park Ranger program, and visiting the Petersen House (the
House Where Lincoln Died). The Ford’s Theatre Box
Office opens at 8:30 a.m. for distribution of same-day tickets. Advance
reservations may be made via Ticketmaster (202) 397-SEAT or at
Ticketmaster.com. The Ford’s Theatre
convenience fee will be waived for Programming on President’s Day, February 15.
Ticketmaster fees still apply. For additional information, please call
202-426-6924. These programs are a great opportunity
to learn more about one of our nation's most prominent leaders. Here's the
schedule of upcoming events:
·
February 5, 12 and 19 – Target Oratory
Festival. Washington-area students present a selection of Lincoln’s greatest
speeches. Tickets are free and required for all visitors ages two and older.
Tickets will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Ford’s Theatre Box
Office on the days of the performances.
·
February 12, 8:45 a.m.- National Park Service
Rangers will commemorate President Lincoln’s birthday with a wreath-laying
ceremony on the historic steps of Ford’s Theatre.
·
February 12-The original overcoat worn by Abraham Lincoln the night he
was assassinated will be reinstalled in its Ford’s Theatre display
case. The coat recently underwent conservation by a textile conservator. The
coat will be displayed through the end of June.
·
February 13, 15 and 20 – Visitors are invited
to explore the many legends surrounding Abraham Lincoln’s life in Tales of the Lincoln with storyteller
Jon Spelman. Visitors also may tour the recently
renovated Ford's Theatre Museum, experience an interpretive Park Ranger
program about the events that led up to and include the assassination of
President Lincoln in the theatre. Visitors may also visit the Petersen House (the House Where Lincoln Died). Tickets for
Tales of the Lincoln are free and required for all visitors ages two and older.
They may be reserved in advance in person at the Ford's Theatre Box Office, by
phone at (202) 397-SEAT or ticketmaster.com.
·
Through February 14, visitors may attend a
performance of "The
Rivalry," which explores the famous Lincoln-Douglas
debates. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Ford's Theatre Box Office,
by phone at (202) 397-SEAT or ticketmaster.com. This
production is appropriate for ages 12 and up.
MONOCACY AND THE
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
8:30 a.m., during the month of February
|
Visitor Center, 52010 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD During
Black History Month visit the Monocacy National
Battlefield visitor center and explore the lives of the enslaved at `Hermitage, the home to the second-largest enslaved population in
Frederick County during the 1800’s. See
how they sought freedom. This exhibit is free
and open to the public. For additional information. Please call 301-662-3515. |
ABRAHAM LINCOLN AT UNION: PRELUDE TO EMANCIPATION EXHIBIT AT THE JOHN
BROWN MUSEUM
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. February 7
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, John Brown
Museum, Harpers Ferry, WV
In honor of Black History Month, Harpers
Ferry National Historical Park invites the public to attend a viewing of a
Black History exhibit on the second floor of the John Brown Museum on
Shenandoah Street. Explore the consequences of Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 speech
against the expansion of slavery in the 2010 Black History exhibit. This special exhibit will on
the second floor of the John Brown Museum.
The program will feature a presentation by Mr. Jim Getty as Abraham
Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. Mr. Getty’s presentation will be
followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony opening this special exhibit. For additional information, please
call the Park Information Center at 304-535-6029.
EXHIBIT –ABRAHAM
LINCOLN AT COOPER UNION: PRELUDE TO EMANCIPATION
February 8-28
Harpers Ferry
National Historical Park, John Brown Museum, Harpers Ferry, WV
Throughout
the month a special exhibit entitled Abraham
Lincoln at Cooper Union: Prelude to Emancipation will focus on Abraham
Lincoln’s 1860 speech against the
expansion of slavery. On February 27, 1860, Lincoln presented his most
influential and widely reported pre-presidential address at the Cooper Union
Institute in New York City. This speech confirmed Lincoln’s suitability as a
presidential nominee while reaffirming his opposition to slavery.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S BIRTHDAY OBSERVANCE
Friday, February 12 (actual birthday)
Lincoln Memorial 23rd & Constitution Ave.
NW, Washington DC
The 2010
Presidential wreath laying honors the "Great Emancipator." The Department of
Interior National Park Service, the Military District of Washington, and the
Lincoln Birthday National Commemorative Committee will place wreaths in the
chamber of the Lincoln Memorial in observance of the 201st birthday
anniversary of America's 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. A wreath
will be placed for the President of the United States at 10:00 a.m. Wreaths for
the Department of Interior and the Lincoln Birthday National Commemorative
Committee will be placed at 11:00 a.m. For further information call 202-619-7222.
BOOK SIGNING AND DISCUSSION WITH DR. BETTYE
COLLIER-THOMAS
1:00 p.m., Saturday,
February 13
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, 1318 Vermont
Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.
Join the staff of the Mary McLeod Bethune NHS in a book signing
featuring Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas to kick off her new released book entitled:
“ Jesus, Jobs, and Justice: African American Women and Religion.” This program
is part of an ongoing series of public programs offered at the site. For
further information call 202-673-2402.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS 192nd BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATION
12 noon to 5:00 p.m., Sunday, February 14, 2010
U.S. Park Police’s Anacostia Operations Facility, 1900
Anacostia Drive SE, Washington, DC (CHANGE IN LOCATION)
Due
to the heavy snows, the Frederick Douglass NHS annual birthday celebration will
be moved to an alternate location nearby in Anacostia Park at the U.S. Park
Police’s Anacostia Operations
Facility. There is limited parking on
site so everyone is encouraged to take the Green Line Metro to Anacostia and to
exit towards the parking garage or to park at the Anacostia Metro’s parking garage which is
located just off of Howard Road near the I-295 interchange on Howard Road. Parking is free there on weekends. This is less than a 2 block walk to the
program location. Maps to the parking
garage are available on Metro’s
website. 2010 is the 90th
Anniversary of Women getting the right to vote and in honor of this milestone,
the Frederick Douglass NHS is celebrating Frederick Douglass’ 192nd birthday by
honoring his involvement in the women’s rights movement. The festivities begin at noon with
live jazz and will be followed by the program’s opening ceremony at 1:00 p.m. and a performance by
Frederick Douglass actor, Fred Morsell doing his
program “Why I am a Women’s Right’s Man.” at 2:15 p.m. Dr. Sally McMillan will give a lecture on
Douglass’s involvement in the women’s rights movement at 3:30 p.m. and
will follow her program with a book signing. For additional information, please
call 202-426-5961.
CLARA BARTON NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
12 noon, Saturday,, February 27
Clara Barton National Historic Site, 5801
Oxford Road, Glen Echo, MD
Commemorate African American History Month as
you learn about Clara Barton and the early history of the American Red Cross
through an interpretive program presented by Park Rangers and view a slide show
about Clara Barton’s American Red Cross relief efforts in Sea Islands, South
Carolina. For additional information, please call 301-320-1410.
THROUGH A SLAVE’S
EYE
10:30 a.m., Saturday, February 27
Old Stone House, 3051 M Street, NW,
Washington, D.C.
During Black History Month you can visit the Old Stone
House and relive through a slave eyes.
For further information call 202-895-6070 or 202-426-6851.
.
UNITS AND LANDMARKS
OF THE
NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM
COMMEMORATING AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY
Booker T. Washington
NM, Hardy,
VA,
Brown v. Board of
Education NHS
Cane River National
Heritage Area Natchitoches,
LA
Carter G. Woodson
NHS
Frederick Douglass
NHS
George Washington
Carver NM Diamond,
MO
Harpers Ferry NHP
Little Rock Central
High School Little
Rock, AR
Lincoln Park Wash.,
DC
Maggie Walker NHS
Martin Luther King,
Jr. NHS
Mary McLeod Bethune
Council House NHS
Mary McLeod Bethune
Nicodemus National
Historic Site
Selma to Montgomery
National Historic Trail Hayneville,
Alabama
Tuskegee Airmen
National Historic Site Tuskegee,
AL
For information on African
American sites outside of the metropolitan area contact National Park Service
WASO- Public Inquiries 202-208-4747.
The National Park Service has developed a web site to help plan
visits to National Park Service sites that preserve African American
Heritage. Visit our Celebrate African
American Heritage in
Visit the National Register of
Historic Places: African American History Month www.cr.nps.gov/nr/feature/afam/
For information on our
brochures the WASHINGTON D.C. BLACK HISTORY NATIONAL RECREATIONAL TRAIL
and the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD please contact the National Capital Region
Office of Education and Interpretation at 202-619-7077.
Please contact the Smithsonian
Institution on all Smithsonian programs related to African American issues and
resources at
202-633-1000.
***
Please verify information before attending any programs by calling the park or
Toni Braxton at 202-619-7222. All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Please watch for updates.
This
Calendar of Events was compiled as a courtesy of the
National
Capital Region Office of Communications
-NPS-
Filename: wpshare: 2010 BHMONTH1 Calendar
Last
updated:2/11/10