February 2019: Black History Month

Celebrate African American History Month with fellow Missourians at an event near you:

Western Missouri

• The Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City host the 2019 Black History Luncheon & Annual Fundraising Event. On Saturday, February 16, guest speaker Carroll G. Lamb presents, Create! Build! Make Money: African American Investors with an Entrepreneurial Spirit. This special event takes place at the Pierson Auditorium from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Click here to learn more or purchase tickets...

• The Kansas City Parks Department hosts its 2019 Black History Month Program. On February 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Hillcrest Community Center, share in the experience of African American culture through performances of African dance, songs, and skits. Light refreshments will also be served. For more information, please call 816-513-8560.

• The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art presents, Teen Final Friday: The Black Diaspora. On February 22 from 6 to 9 p.m., in celebration of Black History Month, this teen open mic night will feature tours of artwork by African American artists in the museum’s collection. Enjoy this and other related activities, in addition to the open mic performances. Click here to learn more... 

Central Missouri

• Missouri State University presents, Sankofa: Black History Month Banquet 2019. In its third year, Sankofa will provide a full soul food dinner and program focused on celebrating Black history and culture. Guests will enjoy a night of performances, history, and a fashion show depicting globalized Black culture. This special event takes place on February 23 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. For additional information or to RSVP, please visit online or contact Yvania Garcia-Pusateri at 417-836-8921. 

• The University of Missouri Libraries and the MU Black History Month Committee present, Exodus: Images of Black Migration in Missouri and Beyond, 1866 – 1940. On February 4, join the State Historical Society of Missouri’s (SHSMO) Joan Stack and Faith Ordonio for a curators’ presentation, which explores how thousands of African Americans came to and through Missouri while seeking greater political, economic, and social opportunity. Images from the SHSMO’s collections offer insights into the movement of African American from their first great exodus out of the South after the Civil War to relocations sparked by violence, repression, natural disasters, and the turmoil of the Great Depression. Click here to learn more... 

• The Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy presents, A Fire Bell in the Past: The Missouri Crisis at 200. This two-day event, taking place on February 15 and 16, includes a laundry list of speakers and panels discussing a variety of historical topics and perspectives related to the Missouri Crisis and why the North and South differed over the admission of Missouri as a state. This conference is free and open to the public. For a full schedule of topics and speakers, or to RSVP, please visit the event webpage or contact the following individuals: Kinder Institute Programs Coordinator Allison Smythe at smythea@missouri.edu; Professor and Kinder Institute Associate Director Jeff Pasley at pasleyj@missouri.edu; or Kinder Institute Communications Associate Thomas Kane at kanetc@missouri.edu.

Eastern Missouri

• The Saint Louis Story Stichers present, Stand Down, Rise Up, Respect and Redirect, an exploration of African Americans throughout Missouri’s history who have influenced gun violence today. The project is supported by the Missouri Foundation for Health, Incarnate Word Foundation, the Missouri Humanities Council, and the Gateway Arch National Park. Presentations will take place on February 2 at the St. Louis Association of Communities (SLACO) 23rd Annual Regional Neighborhood Conference, and on February 18 at the Gateway Arch National Park. Please visit here for information on the February 2 event, and here for information on the February 18 event.

• The St. Louis County Library Lewis & Clark Branch presents, Delta Sigma Theta Black History Month Author Celebration. On February 16, beginning at noon, meet authors from the Delta Sigma Theta St. Louis Alumnae Chapter as they discuss their books. Featured authors include Jo Lena Johnson, author of Broken Conditions; Candice Cox, author of children’s book Please Oh Please Be Patient With Me; Yvonne Yvette Thomas, author of Matters of the Heart: Ten Episodes of Purpose; Kim Burke, author of It’s Growth Time!: Six Intentional Personal Growth Strategies That Will Set You Up For Greatness; and Dr. Camesha Hill-Carter, author of I Am Woman: Defining Womanhood and Identity (Volume 1). Click here to learn more... 

• On February 22, the St. Louis Symphony presents its IN UNISON Chorus, an ensemble comprised of 120 members. Founded by Dr. Robert J. Ray, the IN UNISON Chorus will feature Dr. Ray’s composition, Gospel Mass, as well as other reflective and soulful music influenced by African American communities around the world. Celebrate Black History Month with this powerful concert that focuses on the interpretation and preservation of African American and African cultures. Click here to learn more... 

• Play bingo, have fun, win books. In celebration of Black History Month, the St. Louis County Library Indian Trails Branch hosts, Book Bingo: Black History Month in St. Louis. This event takes place on February 14 beginning at 7 p.m.Click here to learn more... 

Learn More with These Helpful Resources

• The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASLAH) investigates the 2019 theme, Black Migrations. Visit the website for further information and additional ASLAH products and events. 

• Celebrate Black History Month with PBS’s Black Culture Connection programming. Explore BCC online for specific details. 

• Explore Black History at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s website.