What we know today as Black History Month started in 1926 as a simple week-long observation of Negro History Week, created by Harvard PhD Carter Woodson. He chose February, the birth month of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
Over time, the week became a full month, and today events are planned across the Chesapeake Bay region to highlight the culture, history and contributions of African Americans in our region.
Here are some worthwhile spots to visit on the Bay:
Upper Bay
The Underground Railroad: Other Voices of Freedom, Havre de Grace Maritime Museum and Environmental Center
This exhibit explores the history of The Underground Railroad and those who aided freedom seekers, from the greater Havre de Grace area, including Harford and Cecil counties, north to Wrightsville, PA, and around the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River. Visit Upcoming Events for the dates and times of programs including the history of the Black church and the role of women in the fight for freedom from enslavement.
Maryland’s Eastern Shore
Frederick Douglass Day of Acknowledgment, Washington College Black History Month, Chestertown
Washington College, in collaboration with the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience and the Chesapeake Heartland Project, celebrates Black History Month across the Eastern Shore with a wide range of events that amplify the rich history of African American life in the region. Sponsored by the college and Bayside H.O.Y.A.S, this event on Saturday, Feb. 8, celebrates the legacy of Maryland’s Frederick Douglass and the contributions of African Americans to life on the Eastern Shore.
National African American Read-In, Washington College Black History Month, Chestertown
Kent County’s African American Read-In event is an interactive, multi-generational program on Feb. 25, that celebrates African American authors, literacy, reading, and diversity in literature through readings shared by community members.
We Got It: A Play About Empathy, Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center, Centreville
The Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center offers a free, fun Black History Month event on Saturday, Feb. 15. It’s an adventure in self-worth and empathy through several tales filled with laughter and a giant stuffed animal. This family-friendly event is free, but tickets are required. Click here for more information and to reserve tickets.
Frederick Douglass Birthday Celebration and Civil Rights Heroes Day, Avalon Theatre, Easton
The celebration of the 207th birthday of Frederick Douglass and Civil Rights Heroes Day on Saturday, Feb. 22, begins at 1:30 with a parade led by the 54th Massachusetts Color Guard of the Massachusetts National Guard, followed by a Cultural Celebration at the Avalon Theatre. Ayla Dennis, a newly discovered descendant of the Bailey-Douglass family, will perform. Local artists Devon Beck and Loreal Lewis join Dennis for a historic night of live music and spoken word, organized by Frederick Douglass on the Hill. Click here for information on the parade location, Cultural Celebration and ticket sales.
Sailing to Freedom: Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michaels
Based on the book, Sailing to Freedom, this ongoing exhibit expands the understanding of freedom-seeking on regional waterways, including the example of Henry “Box” Brown, who shipped himself to freedom in a wooden box. Click here to learn more about the exhibit and accompanying artifacts. Click here for admission information.
Black Pasts, Black Futures: A Black History & Arts Celebration. A Day of Culture, Creativity, and Community, Caroline County Council of Arts, Denton
On Saturday, Feb. 8, the Caroline County Council of Arts invites the community for a day of Black history celebration. Activities include painting and interactive arts activities, food, and music. The Chesapeake Heartland’s mobile museum bus will be onsite for explorations of African American history and culture. Click here for more information on the day’s activities.
Somerset County Black History Month Bus Tour, Princess Anne
Join the Somerset County NAACP and partners for a day-long guided tour of Somerset County on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tour stops will include sites in Princess Anne, Manokin, Westover, Marion, Venton, Mt. Vernon, and Crisfield. The ticket price includes food and transportation.
Southern Maryland
Drayden African American Schoolhouse, Drayden, St. Mary’s County
Visit the Drayden African American Schoolhouse, one of the nation’s best-preserved one-room African American schoolhouses and a significant part of St. Mary’s County’s African American history. Learn about its history, restoration, and how African American students learned at the school until the mid-20th century.
Find more information, hours of operation, and admission here.
United States Colored Troops Interpretive Center, Lexington Park, St. Mary’s County
In honor of Black History Month, view the U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) Medal of Honor Recipients exhibits at Lexington Manor Passive Park during a free open house for all ages. You can visit every Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in February.
Delmarva
Worcester County Public Library Black History Month Collage, Pocomoke City
The Pocomoke Branch of the library invites the public to this family-friendly event to add pictures, words, poems, and anything inspiring to a collage featuring famous African Americans. Stop by anytime during the month of February within library hours. Visit Worcester County Library Events for a complete list of Black History Month activities sponsored by additional branches of the Worcester County Public Library system.
Virginia
The Jamestown Settlement/American Revolution Museum of Yorktown, Williamsburg
Visit the Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Museum of the American Revolution. Their permanent exhibits, rare artifacts, films, and contemporary art recount the experiences of African and African Americans in early America, from the arrival of the first known Africans in Virginia in 1619 to the role of African Americans in the Revolutionary War. The Black Artist Showcase highlights the significance of Black History Month while connecting the past and present through the intersections of contemporary art and 17th-century history. Named for one of the first African women in Jamestown, the After Angelo event on Feb. 22 celebrates modern African American life and culture through community conversations, art, and performance. Visit Click here for information on permanent exhibitions, museum hours, and cost of admission.
Black History Month Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg
In 18th-century Williamsburg, more than half the city’s population was African American. Listen to their stories as told by Colonial Williamsburg interpreters. Take a gallery tour of “I Made This,” the work of 18th-20th century artists. Visit the Bray School, the oldest school for African American children in the country, or enjoy a specially curated meal at Colonial Williamsburg’s Christiana Campbell’s Tavern. For a complete listing of activities and admissions costs, click here.
Fort Monroe, Hampton Roads
The first documented Africans in Virginia arrived at Fort Monroe in Aug. 1619 on the White Lion, an English privateer based in the Netherlands. Visit the Fort to experience its Black History Month programs and permanent sites that earned it a place on the National Register of Historic Places. Take a walking or driving Black Cultural Tour from Engineer Wharf, marking the first landing of Africans at Old Point Comfort, to the “Contraband Hospital” site where, in 1863, Harriet Tubman served as a nurse and cook.
At the free Youth Black Culture Fest event, 5 to 17-year-olds can discover the origins of the African diaspora and how African American culture is expressed through participation in African drumming, dance, archeology, genealogy, quilting, social justice discussions, spoken word, and more. Visit The Youth Black Culture Fest for more information. Click here to visit and for a complete list of historic sites, including the Illuminating Shadows Project and the 1619 Landing Project.
