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, participate in a community conversation, take the kids on an educational scavenger hunt, watch a traditional “broom-jumping” marriage ceremony and learn about the local Ethiopian community. Put these events on your calendar.
Nothing Personal: A Collaboration in Black and White
Opening Jan. 31 (with a reception from 5-8 p.m.) and running through May 3, this show by Mason Exhibitions Arlington centers on Nothing Personal, a book published in 1964 featuring artwork by African American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin and Richard Avedon, a Jewish photographer. // 3601 Fairfax Drive, Arlington (Virginia Square)
Black History Mystery
Throughout the month of February, follow “Sam Sandiego,” a character created by Arlington County Parks & Recreation, as she gives clues about hidden historic gems related to Arlington’s Black history. Use an interactive map to find local landmarks and check the website for new clues. The first clue will post Feb. 1.
Black History Month at the Arlington Public Library
APL has free events for all ages throughout the month. On Feb. 6 from 4:15-4:45 p.m., the Kids Club at Westover, for kids in kindergarten-fifth grade, will learn about Black inventors. The Kids Club at Central will meet Feb. 19 from 4:15-5 p.m. to engage in projects related to Black History Month. Another event for that age group is Story and a Craft on Feb. 20, 4:30-5:30 p.m., at the Shirlington Library, during which attendees will learn about Mary Fields, the first African American woman stagecoach driver. Adults can learn about the Black history of Chesapeake Bay aquaculture from Imani Black, founder of Minorities in Aquaculture on Feb. 15, 3-4 p.m., at Central Library, and join a conversation with Noliwe Rooks, author of A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune, on Feb. 28 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
How It Feels to be Free at McLean Community Center
This 2021 documentary tells the story of how six Black female entertainers—Diahann Carroll, Pam Grier, Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone and Cicely Tyson—fought back against racism in the entertainment industry to become stars. Catch the show at the Alden Theatre on Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. Admission is free. // 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean
The History of the Ethiopian Community in Arlington
On Feb. 13 from 7-8:30 p.m., the Arlington Historical Society will celebrate Black History Month by illuminating Ethiopians’ 50 years of contributions to the county’s culture. Journalist and Arlington resident Kidist Ebenezer will speak about early immigrants’ experiences and how the community supported them. Register by Feb. 12 to participate via Zoom, or attend in person for free at the Reinsch Library Auditorium at Marymount University. // 2807 Glebe Road, Arlington
Washington Revels Jubilee Voices Concert
Committed to the preservation of Black history and traditions, this group tells stories of struggle and perseverance through a cappella music, drama and dance. Admission is free to this event Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. // The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria
Feel the Heritage Festival
The 31st annual event celebrating Arlington’s historically Black neighborhoods will take place Feb. 22 from noon-5 p.m., at the Charles Drew Community Center. The program includes artists and community exhibitors, live performances, free children’s activities, and food from local vendors. Admission is free. // 3500 23rd St. S., Arlington (Green Valley)
Black History Month Gala
The Virginia Black History Month Association will host a two-day event at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel on Feb. 21 and 22. The first day brings a Black Health Fair featuring wellness vendor booths and discussions on managing relationships. The discussion is free and open to the public, and will be available online as well as in person. On the second day, a gala featuring actress, director, producer, and activist Ericka Alexander as keynote speaker will also surprise one couple with a broom-jumping marriage ceremony. The theme of this year’s gala is “African Americans and Labor,” which aims to highlight the role of work in Black culture. Tickets to the gala start at $25. // 2800 S. Potomac Ave., Arlington (National Landing)
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. Reports conflict as to whether any residents of Freedman’s Village are buried at the cemetery, but you can 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, according to the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service, and laid the foundation for many of the historically Black Arlington neighborhoods that later took root near the cemetery. // Arlington National Cemetery
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
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. A new research project launched in partnership with the Arlington Historical Society, Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington, sheds light on “the largely unknown history of the county’s enslaved population and to commemorate their lives.” To date, the project has identified at least 1,600 people who were enslaved in the area—roughly 800 of them by name. // The museum is open Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays 2-5 p.m., 2611 Columbia Pike, Arlington
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 slaves 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