Black History Month was created as a time for all Americans to celebrate the achievements by Black Americans and their central role in U.S. history. Beside the recognition, Black History Month also serves as a way to promote diversity, to unite us as a multi-cultural society and to understand the importance of our stories and how they impact us today.
Despite the pandemic-caused limitations on social gatherings, there are many ways you can join local and national celebrations online this year. We’ve created a list of local events from children’s story times, to storytelling performances, to deeper-dive discussions on social justice to help you choose your favorite way to celebrate.
A national virtual festival to celebrate the 2021 theme, “The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity” is hosted all month long by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Go to https://asalh.org/festival/ for a list of free events open to the public throughout the month
Ways to celebrate Black History Month
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 11 a.m., FREE
Story Time Live: Black History Month, hosted by the McKinney Center in Jonesborough. Weekly story time throughout February features a children’s book celebrating Black history read by special guests. View on McKinney Center Facebook timeline at facebook.com/events/166159988642053
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m., FREE
Spoken Word/Poetry Café, hosted by ETSU Black Affairs Association. Listen to or share stories at this open mic event. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83832973841?pwd=bEUzOERQeWM3OFkyb1VNTUhmQ3Vldz09 Zoom ID: 838 3297 3841 | Passcode 865141
Thursday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m., FREE
Conversations that Matter, hosted by the McKinney Center. Ongoing monthly series featuring two guests exploring their cultural similarities and differences. This week’s guests are Sarah Sanders and Brittany Butler. View on McKinney Center Facebook timeline at facebook.com/ events/755830115047525
Friday, Feb. 12, noon, FREE
Black History Interview Series, hosted by ETSU’s Multicultural Center. Interview with Adam Dickson, ETSU instructor of “Black American Political Thought” class, supervisor of Langston Center, and Jonesborough alderman. View at etsu.edu/mcc, facebook.com/etsumc1 or follow @etsumcc on Twitter or Instagram.
Saturday, Feb. 13, 1 p.m., FREE
Freedom Stories: Unearthing the Black Heritage of Appalachia, hosted by the International Storytelling Center, funded by the National Endowment of the Humanities. Ongoing series about Black history in Appalachia featuring prominent Black scholars, leaders, performers. View on the International Storytelling Center Facebook timeline, facebook.com/StorytellingCenter. If you don’t have a Facebook account, go to the ISC Facebook link and click “Not Now.”
Feb. 15, 7 p.m., FREE
The True Black History Museum Virtual Tour, hosted by ETSU at thecollegefun/ETSUtrueblackhistory.
Tuesdays, Feb. 16-March 9, 7 p.m., FREE
Social Justice Workshop: Exploring Issues & Solutions, hosted by Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. Dr. Noell Marshall and Bob Warner lead weekly 90-minute sessions focused on voting, education, public health and criminal justice. Link to Zoom event: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84896581947
Friday, Feb. 19, Noon, FREE
Black History Interview Series, hosted by ETSU’s Multicultural Center. Interview with John Russaw, ETSU’s first Black football player. View at etsu.edu/mcc, facebook.com/etsumc1, or follow @etsumcc on Twitter or Instagram.
Monday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m., FREE
StoryTown Radio Show Celebrates Black History Month, hosted by the McKinney Center. Celebrates local African American leaders who have made a difference. Includes stories of the Melungeon culture, Langston High founder Dr. Hezekiah Hankal, music guest Jaezusx, a segment from the Black in Appalachia podcast and more. View on Facebook Live at facebook.com/events/901242500637703
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m., FREE
Zuzu: African Acrobats, virtual performance. Zoom ID: 979 7799 4989 |passcode 618943
Thursday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. $15
Performance by Rev. Robert B. Jones, African American storyteller, singer, instrumentalist, blues musician, ordained minister. Presented by the International Storytelling Center’s Storytelling Online! winter concert series. Purchase tickets for access link at storytellingcenter.net/storytelling-online or call 800-952-8392. Performance is available for viewing for 4 days following the concert.
Friday, Feb. 26, noon, FREE
Black History Interview Series, hosted by ETSU’s Multicultural Center. Interview with Lottie Ryans, Science Hill High and University of Tennessee alum, a storied leader in her career and civic involvement. View at etsu.edu/mcc, facebook.com/etsumcc, or follow @etsumcc on Twitter or Instagram.
Friday, March 5, noon, FREE
Black History Interview Series, hosted by ETSU’s Multicultural Center. Interview with Tybre Faw, 13-year-old Liberty Bell Middle School student who met and befriended Congressman John Lewis in Selma in 2018, led the commemorative walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge, read a poem at Lewis’ funeral and was invited to attend the Biden/Harris inauguration. View at etsu.edu/mcc, facebook.com/etsumcc, or follow @etsumcc on Twitter or Instagram.
