Guide to Black History Month Events

The Milwaukee Art Museum is celebrating Black History Month with Kohl’s Haitian Gallery, which includes weekly performances by local artists. Photo provided by the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Celebrate Black History Month with these locally curated events. With the coronavirus pandemic is still in full effect, organizations and entities have turned to virtual platforms to host their events, which feature local performers, historians and more.

Below is a list of events happening throughout the month of February in honor of this significant month.  

America’s Black Holocaust Museum: Black History Month events:  Wednesday, Feb. 10. 

All month long, America’s Black Holocaust Museum will be hosting virtual conversations and programs as part of Black History Month.

Later this month, Dr. Robert Davis, the president and CEO of the museum, will interview Municipal Court Judge Derek Mosley. The interview will be streamed from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10. 

Milwaukee Public Schools is participating in the National Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. The events will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. starting Monday, Feb. 1 through Friday, Feb. 5. All events will take place virtually and are free and open to the public. Click to register and to view the events. 

We Rise: MKE’s celebration of Black History Month: Monday, Feb. 8, 15 and 22

Milwaukee Repertory Theater is hosting “We Rise: MKE’s Celebration of Black History Month.” The events will take place on Facebook Live and YouTube Live at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8, 15 and 22. Click here for the schedule of events. 

Black Lens MKE: Four weeks of film, culture and conversation: All month

Milwaukee Film and Black Lens MKE are celebrating Black History Month with four weeks of film, culture and conversation. The programming includes 30 films by Black filmmakers and various events. All-access passes are on sale now and cost $24.99 for non-members and $19.99 for members. Single tickets go on sale on Monday, Feb. 1 and cost $3.99 for non-members and $1.99 for members. 

The UWM Planetarium, in partnership with the UWM College of Letters and Science and UWM Sociocultural Programming, is celebrating Black History Month with “Stars, Stories and Rhythms of Africa.” The show will take place on Facebook Live from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Venice Williams is the special guest speaker. 

Kohl’s Haitian Gallery and virtual performances: Saturday, Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27

The Milwaukee Art Museum is celebrating the art and culture of Haiti with Kohl’s Haitian Gallery as part of Black History Month. The museum is temporarily closed, so it will be sharing performances on its website at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27. The performances will feature Jahmés Finlayson and Zonia Perry, Ko-Thi Dance Company, Lakou Mizik and Jam Ak Jam. Additionally, families can find art activities inspired by Black artists at the Kohl’s Art Studio. 

Black History Month at the Milwaukee Public Library: All month

The Milwaukee Public Library is celebrating Black History Month with several virtual events. “Grimoire and the Black Experience in History & Memory: A reading with Dr. Cherene Sherrard at Virtual” will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11. Black History Month Jeopardy will take place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 15. “The History Buff Book Club: Stamped from the Beginning” will take place from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25. 

Coming together with the African American community: Advancing health equity: Thursday, Feb. 18

The Alzheimer’s Association is hosting a webinar  “Coming Together with the African American Community: Advancing Health Equity through Alzheimer’s Resources, Caregiver Support and Research.” The discussion will feature keynote speaker Dr. Carl Hill, the Alzheimer’s Association acting chief diversity and inclusions officer. It will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18. Click here to register.

MKE Black is encouraging people to support Black-owned food trucks. Vendors will be located at the Beerline Trail Plaza, 3356 N. Holton St., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20. Karol’s Kitchen, Africa’s Finest Cuisine and Bebe’s Food will be in attendance. 

Black History Month Showcase: Saturday, Feb. 27

Milwaukeeans are invited to turn into Black History Month Showcase on Facebook Live from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27. The event features local poet, Kavon Cortez Jones, and will be filmed by Cristina Ossers. The showcase will include performances of “Paris of the Midwest,” “Fried Boloney-N-Koolaid,” “A Love Letter to Milwaukee” and several more. 

This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee.