15 Ways to Celebrate Black History in the DMV

This February (and all year long) there are countless ways to celebrate Black history and culture in Northern Virginia. Visit a historic site or museum, catch a performance highlighting famous African Americans, witness a traditional “broom-jumping” marriage ceremony and celebrate Black culture as an essential part of the American story. Put these events on your calendar.

Arlington Public Library Events

The library kicks off the month with an Arlington Reads author talk Feb. 1, 2-3 p.m., when Ashanté Reese will discuss her book Black Food Geographies. On Feb. 2, 6-7 p.m., Clay Cane, author of Burn Down the Master’s House, will talk about his first foray into adult fiction. For a kid-centric outing, the Crafty Kids event Feb. 25, 4:15-5 p.m., will give little ones a chance to make a mask inspired by artist Kimmy Cantrell. Round out the month with a movie: 42: The Jackie Robinson Story on Feb. 27, 1:30-4 p.m. Most of these events will be held at the Central Library. The only exception is the movie, which will be shown at the Aurora Hills branch. Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington (Virginia Square), and Aurora Hills Branch Library, 735 S. 18th St., Arlington

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Through Feb. 8, performances by the iconic dance company include world premieres such as Jazz Island, in which a Caribbean folktale comes to life through ancestral rhythms and divine intervention, and Embrace, which captures the ups and downs of human connections, set to pop songs by Stevie Wonder, Kate Bush, Ed Sheeran and P!nk. See website for ticket prices and times. Warner Theatre, 513 13th St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

Genius Unbroken: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Charles R. Drew

Join the Arlington Historical Society to learn about the remarkable life of groundbreaking medical researcher and surgeon Charles Drew. Known as the “Father of the Blood Bank,” Drew was also an Arlingtonian. His daughter, Charlene Drew Jarvis, and biographer Craig Miller will discuss Drew’s contribution to health care Feb. 12, 7-8:30 p.m., at Marymount University’s Reinsch Library Auditorium. 2807 N. Glebe Road, Arlington (Ballston)

Memorializing the Enslaved of Arlington

Sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, this ongoing research project aims to uncover details about the lives of enslaved people who lived and worked in Arlington. On Feb. 17, 7-8:30 p.m., project co-directors Jessica Kaplan and Scott Taylor will discuss how the project took shape and the lessons to be learned from this hidden piece of local history. Woman’s Club of Arlington, 700 S. Buchanan St., Arlington (Barcroft)

Feel the Heritage Festival

Get ready for live performances by the Crush Funk Brass Band and African dance company Kulture Shock Movement, plus a vibrant artisans market and local food vendors. This annual, family-friendly festival is free and take place at the Charles Drew Community Center on Feb. 21, noon-5 p.m. 3500 23rd St. S., Arlington (Green Valley)

Voices of Resilience: Embracing Black History and Arts From Insight to Action

Learn Black contributions to the visual and performing arts on Feb. 21, 1-3:30 p.m. Event panelists include Irene Chambers, a board member of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, along with representatives from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, George Mason University’s Department of History and Art History, and the Office of Historic Alexandria’s African American Division. Meridian High School, 121 Mustang Alley, Falls Church

26th Annual Virginia Black History Month Gala

Organized by the Virginia Black History Month Association, this weekend-long celebration on Feb. 27-28 takes over the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel with historical speakers, a traditional broom jumping ceremony, a youth orchestra performance, scholarship presentations and 30-plus vendors. This year’s keynote speaker is actor Kadeem Hardison of A Different World fame. See ticket prices here. 2800 S. Potomac Ave., Arlington (National Landing)

Fight for the Right to Read Program

Authors Jeff Gottesfeld and Michelle Y. Green, along with illustrator Kim Holt, will discuss their book, Fight for the Right to Read: Samuel Wilbert Tucker and the 1939 Sit-Down Strike for Library Reading Equality. Designed for kids in second grade and higher, the presentation Feb. 28, 11 a.m.-noon, will cover how the idea for the book came about and a Q&A with the authors. Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St., Alexandria

HERO: The Boy from Troy, A New Musical About Young John Lewis

Coming to the Alden Theatre March 6, 7 p.m., is a story about a boy named Jayden who has to read a book about civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis. Initially irritated by the assignment, Jayden quickly comes to view Lewis’s life as inspiring and grasps the importance ofgetting into “good trouble.” Tickets are $15-$25. 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean

Freedman’s Village

In 1863, on the grounds of what is now Arlington National Cemetery, the federal government established Freedman’s Village as a temporary refuge for emancipated slaves. The settlement was built on land that had been part of Arlington House, the estate home of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and his wife, Mary Anna Custis Lee. (Learn more about the village through the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.) The house, including two slave quarters, is free to tour. Visit thousands of graves of African American troops and freedpeople in Section 27, one of the oldest parts of the burial ground. Freedman’s Village thrived for 37 years and laid the foundation for many of the historically Black Arlington neighborhoods that later took root near the cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery

Black Heritage Museum of Arlington

Established in 2018, this museum on Columbia Pike houses exhibits and artifacts relating to key figures, important milestones and the evolution of Arlington’s historically Black communities. The museum is open Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays 2-5 p.m. 2611 Columbia Pike, Arlington

Roosevelt Island and the Underground Railroad

Situated in the middle of the Potomac River between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom, Theodore Roosevelt Island is probably best known for its massive monument to the 26th U.S. president, creator of the U.S. Forest Service. But the island, once a stop on the Underground Railroad, is also home to the archaeological remnants of a camp for Black people fleeing slavery, as well as Camp Greene, a Civil War training camp for the 1st U.S. Colored Infantry, one of the first all-Black regiments. Parking lot entrance and pedestrian bridge located off the George Washington Memorial Parkway

Duke Street Black History Trail

The City of Alexandria’s Black History Trail begins at the Edmonson Sisters Sculpture and Historical Marker (1701 Duke St.), which honors two sisters who were born into slavery, tried to escape and later became outspoken abolitionists. Other stops include the Freedom House Museum, which trafficked thousands of Black people from 1828-1861, and the Alfred Street Baptist Church, the city’s oldest Black congregation. Learn even more about Alexandria’s Black history with a driving tour and an Underground Railroad-themed tour from Manumission Tour Company. All are available year-round.

The Slave Memorial at Mount Vernon

More than 300 enclaved people kept the first U.S. president and his wife, Martha, comfortable at their sprawling Mount Vernon estate. George Washington is said to have owned 123 of them, while the remainder were owned by the Custis estate, which Martha inherited when her first husband died in 1757. Near the Washingtons’ tomb, a truncated granite column dedicated in 1983 represents the slaves’ unfinished lives. It is free to visit with admission to the estate and grounds. 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon