New York’s Five Boroughs Celebrate Black History Month

NYC & Company is highlighting events taking place this month in Manhattan and other boroughs in honor of Black History Month. The city’s African-American history will be celebrated through a range of activities, including informational discussions, museum and cultural tours, live entertainment, and documentary screenings.

Here are some highlights, organized by borough:

Bronx: The Longwood Arts Project is hosting a new exhibition, Bronx: Africa, from Feb. 3 to May 4.  Located on the campus of Hostos Community College, the exhibition will feature art celebrating the tradition and impact of contemporary African cultures on New York City.

Brooklyn: The Black History Month Trolley Tour at the Green-Wood Cemetery provides tour goers with the opportunity to explore the graves of notable New York African-Americans, with stops including the graves of Susan Smith McKinney Steward, the first female black doctor in New York, and Jeremiah Hamilton, New York City’s first African-American millionaire.

Brooklyn Abolitionists offers an inside look at Brooklyn’s anti-slavery movement. The show is part of the larger In Pursuit of Freedom project, which will run through the winter of 2018.

Brooklyn Historical Society is holding a panel Feb. 4 on slavery on Long Island, moderated by Jennifer Anderson. On Feb. 18, Calvin Alexander Ramsey will screen parts of his documentary titled “The Green Book Chronicles.”

Manhattan: Through February 26, the Central Park Arsenal invites visitors to check out the exhibition “America: The Legacy of African American Public Service,” featuring art celebrating African-Americans who have overcome slavery, segregation and prejudice to become elected US public officials.

The Apollo will celebrate Black History Month with a series of artistic and community programs, highlighted by the return of the theater’s signature talent competition, Amateur Night. The Apollo’s 2016 Black History Month programming lineup also includes the annual Apollo Open House Weekend, a night of comedy commencing with an Apollo Live Wire discussion on the history of comedy, followed by Apollo Comedy Club featuring comedians Me Me Simpson, Kareem Green, and John Laster.

Queens: The Louis Armstrong House Museum will be honoring the iconic jazz musician all month long with its newly opened Hotter Than That exhibition. Visitors can also take a general tour of the museum, learning about Armstrong’s contributions to music and his role as a civil rights activist.

Staten Island: Tourists can visit the Sandy Ground Historical Society Library Museum, which contains photographs and art documenting the history of Sandy Ground.

A full list of events can be found at nycgo.com/blackhistorymonth.