The Tea Room is a contemporary look at an African American Tea Ceremony that began in the mid-19th century. Annually on February 15, enslaved people joined together to fellowship over tea. This tradition evolved into gathering held in churches and later tea houses. Designed to create an environment on unity and empowerment, the Tea Room will be a forum to learn about African American Culture.
The film, As A Matter of Black is a documentary that chronicled the work of local artists during a time of civil unrest. After a viewing of the film, Donte Woods-Spikes, the filmmaker will talk about the motivation behind his work and will lead a discussion with artists that were featured in the film.
Begin Black History Month by considering the narratives of two men who made their ways to Cincinnati after being enslaved in the South. Although part of a free state, antebellum Cincinnati was not friendly to abolitionists and African Americans. Newly free, James Bradley enrolled as a student at Lane Seminary, and Henry Bibb came to our city as a freedom seeker. We'll also discuss the impact their stories had on Harriet Beecher Stowe when she wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This HYBRID format program will be held at the Walnut Hills Branch Library and also livestreamed via Zoom.
The village of Madisonville, Ohio – now a neighborhood within Cincinnati – has a remarkable tradition of civic leadership by persons of color and many of its leaders were are also residents of the Walnut Hills neighborhood. In this lecture, local historian Chris Hanlin introduces us to women and men whose remarkable civic leadership shaped one of Cincinnati’s most diverse neighborhoods. This program will be HYBRID at the Walnut Hills Branch Library and also via Zoom to those who RSVP.
Discuss the perennial themes of identity, power, violence and fear in Richard Wright’s short story as adapted in film starring Levar Burton. This discussion group will be HYBRID at the Walnut Hills Branch Library and also via Zoom.
National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce
Feb. 9, 2023
Is Black History Month still necessary? Relevant, even? Join us on Thurs., Feb 9 at 7 p.m. for this free thought-provoking Black History Month Zoom webinar. The discussion will compel a reconsideration of the historical experiences and contemporary legacies associated with being Black in America.
Presented by Dr. Holly Y. McGee, Associate Professor, Department of Africana Studies at the University of Cincinnati. Currently, Dr. McGee teaches undergraduate courses in black history and film, culture and counterculture, and African American history in early and colonial America. She specializes in U.S. History and African American History, emphasizing black women’s activist and intellectual history, comparative political activism in the United States and South Africa, and popular culture in the twentieth century.
National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce
Daily Exhibit
This exhibit explores the painful and triumphant history of African Americans in comic books. With a few exceptions, early black comic characters were rarely featured as heroes. In the past, it was more common to see Blacks represented as “helpless” sidekicks supporting white characters written by white creative teams. With the rise of Black comic creators in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Black comic book creators are now emerging to establishing superheroes of their own, reflecting a truer self-identity and cultural pride.
National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce
View daily exhibit until awards ceremony on Feb. 25!
The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center (NAAMCC) is presenting its ninth annual national juried art show. Artists from the United States were invited to submit their work to the juried art exhibition in response to the theme of Black Love. We asked the artists to reflect on the idea of Black Love. What does Black Love mean to you? Participants and winners will be recognized at the Closing Reception and Awards Ceremony at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center on Sat., February 25, 2023.
National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, Wilberforce
Daily Exhibit
One of Ohio’s greatest legacies is a story rarely told. Since the 1800s, Ohio was at the heart of social change led by African American women. Queens of the Heartland features 30 of these pioneering women in a new exhibition curated by the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center. Visitors will learn these amazing stories through panel text as well as three-dimensional objects. This exhibit also features portrait illustration by New York artist Nichole Washington, whose work focuses on identity and celebrates the African American woman.
Do you ever wonder what people who have passed on would think about what is happening in the world? Would Martin Luther King Jr. come back and be happy about the progress we have made? Letters to My Father takes a look at how some people in the local community have been impacted by the work of others who were change makers. Hear about how they have been influenced by the body of work done by people of history.
Letters to My Father opens Friday, February 17 at 6 p.m. at the Shaker Historical Society and is on view through May 7, 2023. This exhibition was organized by Kim Harris of Shaker African American Mothers Support (S.A.M.S.) with support from Shaker Historical Society.
