Source: @alyssasieb / nappy.co
This February, check out the programs, exhibits, and historic landmarks the city has to offer that honor the contributions and history of African Americans in Raleigh, most of which are free and a few are even available year-round.
Black History Month Events and Exhibits
Weekday Tours of Pope House Museum
Tuesday – Friday in Feb., 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Cost: Free (suggested $5 donation)
Pope House Museum, 511 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
In celebration of Black History Month, the Pope House Museum will provide scheduled weekday tours of 15 or fewer. Visit the home of Dr. Manassa T. Pope, one of the most prominent African-Americans in downtown Raleigh’s history. Learn about his life; his medical practice; his family; his contributions to the African-American community in downtown Raleigh; and explore one of the oldest standing houses on Wilmington Street.
Visit Martin Luther King Memorial Gardens
Open from dawn until dusk daily, Cost: Free
1215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27610
First built in 1975, it is the first public park in the United States solely devoted to Dr. King and the civil rights movement. A 12-ton granite water monument honors the area’s notable pioneers in the civil rights movement.
African American Cinema: Family Movie Night
Friday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Cost: Free
John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601
Participants will watch a film by an African American director. Popcorn and refreshments will be served.
Black History Trivia
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Cost: Free
John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601
Gather your friends and compete to be the best black history historians on the block! On MLK’s block that is! You will team up with friends and neighbors and test your knowledge on everything black history. Raleigh’s black history is guaranteed! All participants will leave with a prize!
Kids Black History Storytime and Crafts: Spotlight on Musicians
Wednesday, Feb. 8, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Cost: Free
John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601
Join us in learning how you can connect to the past through genealogy. John Chavis Community Center
African American Genealogy
Thursday, February 9, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., All Ages, Cost: Free
John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601
Join us in learning how you can connect to the past through genealogy.
Pottery – Hands-On History
Wednesdays, Feb. 15 – Mar. 22, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Cost: $121/$136
Sertoma Arts Center, 1400 W Millbrook Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612
Celebrate Black History Month and Women’s History month with this Artist focused Art History class. We will be looking into BIPOC and Women Artists, a bit of their personal histories, and the work that they create. Students will then create their own ceramic artworks inspired or encouraged by the artists they feel most interested in.
Spotlight on an African American Artist: Tots Storytime and Crafts
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Ages 2-5, Cost: Free
John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601
Bring out your toddler’s inner artist with story time and crafts where they will learn about an African American painter.
Black History Movie and Social for Seniors
Thursday, Feb. 16, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Cost: Free
John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601
Enjoy a movie highlighting the African American experience. Popcorn and refreshments will be served.
Black Inventor’s Workshop for Kids
Saturday, Feb. 18, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Cost: Free
John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601
Did you know that the stoplight, the IBM personal computer, and elevator doors were all invented or co-invented by African Americans? Discover the unique and innovative inventions and amazing accomplishments of African Americans. Participants will use their imagination at the end to create their own inventions.
Raleigh Trolley Celebrates Black History Month
Saturday, Feb. 18, 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. Tour times, Cost: $10
Mordecai Historic Park,1 Mimosa St., Raleigh, NC 27604
Celebrate Raleigh’s Black history on this special trolley tour highlighting the downtown area’s African American heritage. The tour route includes historic homes, schools, churches and businesses important to Raleigh’s African American history. Call 919- 996-4364 for more information.
Black History: Share Your Story
Thursday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Cost: Free
John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601
We stand on the shoulders of many. Not all African American pioneers made the history book. This is your opportunity to share your personal story of a notable African American that has had an influence on your life.
Make sure to check back throughout the month as more events will be added.
Historic African American Landmarks
The City owns parks, a cemetery, and other landmarks with significance to the African American community. Below are a few who have made it onto the local, state, and national registers of historic places.
John Chavis Memorial Park and Carousel
505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27601
Under the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA), Chavis Park was created in 1937 to give black families access to similar recreational opportunities as white families. It attracted black families throughout North Carolina from the late 1930s to the late 1940s. The carousel was installed as one of the main attractions and is one of the few vintage carousels that remain in operation today. The park is named for John Chavis, a black Revolutionary War soldier, who went on to establish a school in Raleigh, where he taught white students by day and black students by night. He also became a Presbyterian minister in 1799. Read more about Chavis Park’s history.
Latta University Historic Park
1001 Parker Street, Raleigh, NC 27607
Rev. Morgan London Latta, a freed enslaved person and teacher, founded Latta University in 1892. At its peak, Latta was home to 26 buildings home and 1,400 students, including orphaned children of former enslaved people. The university operated for 30 years. The Latta residence was the only remaining structure on the site, but it was destroyed in a fire in 2007. The City recently completed a master plan for the park and is working on Phase I implementation. Read more about Latta House’s history.
Mt. Hope Cemetery
120 Prospect Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27603
Mt. Hope, which was established in 1872, is one of the first municipal cemeteries for African Americans in North Carolina. Most sizeable towns in the state opened suburban cemeteries for whites in the post-Civil War era, but very few established municipal cemeteries for freed enslaved people. Several prominent residents are buried there including Rev. G.A. Mial, former enslaved person and educator Lucille M. Hunter, James E. Hamlin owner of Hamlin Drugstore, and Dr. Manassa T. Pope, the first black mayoral candidate in Raleigh. Read more about Mt. Hope’s history.
Pioneers Building at Method Community Park
514 Method Road, Raleigh, NC 27607
The Pioneers Building was the old Agricultural Building of the Berry O’Kelly High School, the first fully accredited and largest rural high school in the state of North Carolina for African Americans. Read more about the Pioneers Building.
Pope House Museum
511 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
As the only African American house museum in the state of North Carolina, the Pope House offers a glimpse into the life of one of Raleigh’s most intriguing citizens, Dr. Manassa Thomas Pope, who was the only African-American man to run for mayor of a southern capital during the Jim Crow Era. Read more about Pope House’s history.
Source: R1 / other
