BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2024

There are so many ways to celebrate Black History Month in February 2024.
The Office of Arts and Culture offers a list events all over Dallas, from our cultural centers and our partners!

A message from the Director:
As we embrace the month of February, we also embrace the opportunity to honor and celebrate Black History Month. This month is a time for reflection, recognition, and appreciation of the remarkable contributions made by Black individuals throughout history. 

I encourage each of you to take part in our planned events and activities that highlight the rich cultural heritage and significant achievements of the Black community. Let’s come together to deepen our understanding, foster inclusivity, and celebrate the diversity that makes our community strong. 

As we celebrate Black History Month, let this time serve as a catalyst for ongoing conversations, learning, and collaboration. 

With Gratitude, 
Martine Elyse Philippe

• Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House Tour
  • The Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House is one of only three house museums in the nation honoring major female figures in the modern civil rights movement. Craft, a leading civil rights and social justice reformer, lived in this 1920 Craftsman bungalow for 35 years. She organized 185 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) branches and dozens of youth councils across Texas, and helped lead efforts to desegregate the University of Texas School of Law, North Texas State University (now University of North Texas) and the State Fair of Texas.
  • Docent Guided Tour Registration
    
• Rob Holbert Jazz and Blues Music Performance
  • North Oak Cliff Branch Library (302 West Tenth St.)
  • February 1, 2024 (5:45-645 p.m.)
  • In celebration of Black History Month we have partnered with the Office of Arts and Culture’s Community Artist Program to host Mr. Rob Holbert to perform a mixture of Jazz and Blues music and educate us on the historical significance that this type of music has had on the world.
    
    
• Book Club – “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson
  • South Dallas Cultural Center (3400 South Fitzhugh Ave.)
  • February 3, 2024 (3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.)
  •  The SDCC Book Club, which is in partnership with the Dallas Public Library and Oak Cliff Cultural Center! As a part of the Zora Neale Hurston Festival held at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center on January 13, 2024, the club is dedicated to exploring literature and sharing our thoughts. This month, they have selected the book “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson. We encourage open and respectful discussions that welcome diverse perspectives and thoughtful conversation. Join SDCC to discover new worlds through the magic of literature!
    
    
• Love in Black: A Film Series
  • Texas Theatre (231 Jefferson Blvd.)
  • February 6, 2024, Best Man (7:00 p.m.)
  • February 13, 2024, Moonlight (7:00 p.m.)
  • February 20, 2024, Something New (7:00 p.m.)
  • February 27, 2024, Poetic Justice at the South Dallas Cultural Center (7:00 p.m.)
  • The South Dallas Cultural Center is happy to present the third annual Love In Black program, a film series representing Black love. Through the month of February, they are inviting the community to join them as they showcase four well-established movies focused on what it means to find, develop, and grow in love. Grab your friend, boo, or come solo and enjoy this four-week program full of film, Blackness, and love.
• African Textiles Workshop
  • Prairie Creek Branch Library (9609 Lake June Rd.)
  • February 8, 2024 (5 – 6 p.m.)
• Local artist Renee Michea’l Jones will lead you on an expedition through the traditional culture and history of African textiles as a medium for storytelling. Thinking about your personal story, you’ll incorporate your tale into African textile forms such as Dahomey Applique, Nigerian Adire, West African Adinkra and Senegalese Inking.
  
  
• Juanita J. Craft Day Celebration 
  • City Hall, Flag Room (1500 Marilla St. Dallas, Texas 75201)
  • February 9, 2024 (11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)
  • The City of Dallas in partnership with the Friends of Juanita Craft Civil Rights House and Museum will host a special event to honor the legacy and birthday of Juanita J. Craft, a renowned activist and civil rights pioneer. 

    To kick-off the celebration, there will be an unveiling of the commissioned mural dedicated to Mrs. Craft in honor of her legacy. Afterwards at City Hall, there will be a reading of the Juanita J. Craft Day proclamation, which was first recognized in 2022. Light refreshments will be served. 

    There are less than 10 homes in the United States dedicated to telling the story of an African American woman’s work for the fight for civil and human rights. We invite attendees to visit the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House & Museum, a historical landmark commemorating Craft’s legacy on Saturday, Feb. 10. 

    The event will offer a livestream option: youtube.com/@CityofDallasCityHall/streams  
    For English, view channel 16. For Spanish interpretation, view channel 95.    

• Jazz Becuzz
  • Highland Hills Branch Library (6200 Bonnie View Rd.)
  • February 10, 2024 (2:00 p.m.)
  • Join us for an electrifying celebration of rhythm, culture, and the power of music! This Black History Month, experience a mesmerizing showcase by the renowned Jazz Becuzz. Get ready to be captivated by a dynamic fusion of genres that pays homage to the rich heritage and vibrant legacy of Black music.
    
• For They Endured by Kamica King
  • Oak Cliff Cultural Center (223 Jefferson Blvd.)
  • February 10, 2024 (2:00 p.m.)
  • For They Endured highlights the history & contributions of Black women in the field of music therapy before, during, and after the civil rights movement- providing important insights into their enduring legacy. Join them for an afternoon of culture featuring live music, an artist talkback, and a private screening of short film documentary “For They Endured” by multi-disciplinary artist and National Endowment for the Arts subgrantee Kamica King.

• Black Excellence Unleashed 
  • J. Erik Jonsson Central Library (1515 Young St.)
  • February 17, 2024 (12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.)
  • Honor the rich tapestry of Black history, culture, and achievement with our community fair, Black Excellence Unleashed, a tribute to the remarkable heroes of real-life and fiction. 
    
• Yanga
  • Latino Cultural Center (2600 Live Oak St.)
  • February 17 – March 3, 2024
  • Cara Mía Theatre and Soul Rep Theatre Company, in collaboration with Mulato Teatro from Mexico, proudly announce the world premiere of the first English translation of Jaime Chabaud’s Yanga. Yanga is inspired by the untold story of African revolutionary Gaspar Yanga, known as the first liberator of the Americas, paying homage to the roots of the Afro-Mexican diaspora.
    
• Black Violin: The Experience Tour
  • Majestic Theatre (1925 Elm St.)
  • February 18, 2024 (7:30-9:30 p.m.)
  •  Black Violin is composed of classically trained violist and violinist Wi Baptiste and Key Marcus who combine their classical training and hip-hop influences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound that is often described as “classical boom.”
    
    
• African Gospel Workout
  • South Dallas Culture Center (3400 S Fitzhugh Ave.)
  • February 24, 2024 (1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.)
  • The combination of cardio, strength and interval training provides a high energy fat-burning workout that is perfect for those who are looking to lose weight, improve fitness levels and build muscle mass.