Chicago Events Celebrate Black History Month

Martin Luther King Jr.

Facebook/Edgewater Beachwalk Chicago

CHICAGO — The city's monthlong celebration of black history kicks off Wednesday with music and poetry at a Near West Side club and continues throughout the month with fashion shows, documentary screenings, festivals, exhibits and more.

Here are a few worth checking out:

• “Langston Hughes “A Celebration In Poetry, Prose and Song” takes place at 8 p.m. Wednesday at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St. Featured performers include Regina Taylor, J. Ivy, Terisa Griffin, Jussie Smollett, Lynne Jordan and Malcolm London. The ticketed event is sold out, but there's a waiting list here.

• Voice of Chicago, along with students in the Chicago Children’s Choir, will perform on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23 for a Black History Month concert series presented by Target. The concerts will be at 10:45 a.m. both days at the Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. They're free and open to the public.

• The Chicago Public Library will feature programs for all ages throughout the month. All Black History Month events are free and open to the public. Click here for the complete list.

At 6 p.m. Thursday at the Harold Washington Library Center, Naomi Davis will discuss "how African-American victory flourished over decades after the Great Migration journey to the North." Davis is president and founder of Blacks in Green, a diverse community education and trade association, and is the granddaughter of Mississippi sharecroppers. She'll share her story and "memories of what [Great Migration] travelers brought with them, oftentimes nothing but a box with seeds, recipe cards, lunches and luggage."

• Teens will be introduced to the history of African-Americans in jazz, as well as the fundamentals of dance principles and terminology by educator and artist Jazmyne Thomas. The free class is at 4 p.m. Monday at the Altgeld Library, 13281 S. Corliss Ave. and again at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at West Chicago Library, 4856 W. Chicago Ave.

•2017 Black Fashion Week USA will host events Feb. 19-26. They include a student scholarship competition in fashion, beauty and art; a “Fit For Fashion” event to encourage self-esteem and fitness for women; a fashion film movie night; and a panel discussion and business workshop with guest speakers. There'll be a series of fashion shows on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26. Attendees can expect to mingle, network and enjoy light refreshments and entertainment during all the events. Tickets can be bought here.

• A free screening of "American Masters — Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise" is set for 6-9 p.m. Feb. 14 at Blue 1647 Tech Innovation Center, 1647 S. Blue Island Ave. WVON's Dometi Pongo will moderate a discussion with the director after the screening. RSVP through Eventbrite.

• The creator of the documentary "7 A.M." will present the new film "Gentrified-Ethnic Cleansing: American Style" from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Drive.

Tickets are $20 and be bought online. Use the password "Chicago" to get a special discount rate.

• Hope Institute Learning Academy is hosting its first African-American Heritage Festival from 3-8 p.m. Feb. 28. at 1628 W. Washington Blvd. The theme is the Harlem Renaissance. The celebration will take place at 1628 W. Washington Blvd. Adult tickets are $3; children get in free.

• The DuSable Museum of African-American History is featuring the interactive exhibit “Legacy of Black Magicians” from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday at 740 E. 56th Place. Tickets are $10.

• Cook County Board Commissioner Richard Boykin is hosting the third annual “Black History Trailblazers” awards dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Columbus Park Refectory, 5701 W. Jackson Blvd. WGN's recently retired anchor, Robert Jordan, will be the master of ceremonies for the event. Honorees this year include businessman Willie Wilson, Operation PUSH Excel national director Janette Wilson and WGCI-FM’s Tone Kapone. RSVP to Richard.Boykin@cookcountyil.gov or call 312-603-4566.

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