Black History Month 2020 - Events for the Week of February 24
I swear to the Lord I still can’t see why democracy means everybody but me.Langston Hughes
Each February we pay tribute to the generations of African Americans who've suffered, struggled and fought for the right to become citizens and to be treated humanely and fairly in the United States. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the ratification of Fifteenth Amendment, which gave African American men the right to vote in 1870. While the right itself has at times not been enough to truly allow African Americans their voices, the ratification is a true and profound achievement.Throughout February, those of us in the St. Louis region have many opportunities to recognize, honor and celebrate the achievements of African Americans who've played central roles in U.S. history with events at libraries, museums and other venues. Below is a list of events for the final week in February.
Coming up this week, February 24 - 29
- February 24, 10:00 a.m. - Black Cowboys of the Old West at the Grand Glaize Branch of the St. Louis County Library
- February 24, 6:30 p.m. - Beginning Reader Book Club: Trombone Shorty at the Cliff Cave Branch of the St. Louis County Library
- February 25, 6:00 p.m. - Black History Month Trivia at the Lewis & Clark Branch of the St. Louis County Library
- February 26, 6:00 p.m. - African Americans and the Vote: Party Politics, an interactive exhibit at the Julia Davis Branch of the St. Louis Public Library
- February 28, 5:30 p.m. - Black History Trivia Night at Ferguson Community Center
- February 28, 7:00 p.m. - "Ghost," a play based on the award-winning YA novel at Metro Theater Company
- February 29, 10:00 a.m. - African American Folktales at the Natural Bridge Branch of the St. Louis County Library
- February 29, 10:00 a.m. - Black History Month - The Story of Black St. Louis Bus Tour at The Griot Museum
- February 29, 10:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. - Underground Railroad Shuttle Tour in Alton, IL
- February 29, 2:00 p.m. -The Black Suffragettes' Experience at the Carpenter Branch of the St. Louis Public Library
And finally, St. Louisans have access any time of the year to the following museums and historical places to learn more about African American History:
- Frederick Douglass Museum of African American Vernacular Images (by appointment only) in Saint Louis Place
- Griot Museum of Black History in North St. Louis
- Legacy of Courage: Dred Scott and the Quest for Freedom, exhibit at the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis
- Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing
- Missouri History Museum
- National Blues Museum in downtown St. Louis
- Scott Joplin State Historic Site on Delmar Boulevard