Black History Month Events & Activities 2024
Reflect, empower yourself, indulge and confront your curiosities this month. Throughout February, Boston University and dozens of local organizations are hosting events with the notion of celebrating and honoring Black histories, issues, and people. View the list of events and activities.
On Campus Events
AFAM Black History month kickoff
Date/Time: February 1 @ 3pm-5pm
Location: Howard Thurman Center (Event Space 104)
808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446
Join AFAM on Thursday Feb. 1st, with the CAS D&I Office, UMOJA, the Somali Student Association, the Nigerian Students Association, the Eritrean Ethiopian Student Association, and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences for a Black History Month kickoff celebration! There will be refreshments and a raffle. Click the link to RSVP!
Date/Time: February 1 @ 6:30pm
Location: CAS B18
725 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
Join BUNSA for our first Chin Chin + Chit Chat of the year! this conversation’s theme: Detty December!
BUASO Culture Show 2024: One Africa
Date/Time: February 17 @ 6:30pm
Location: Tsai Performance Center
685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
The theme for this year’s cultural show is One Africa. By focusing on the concept of “one”, we hope to use this show as a means to cultivate unity. Prepare yourself for a memorable night as we shine a spotlight on all things African through fashion, music, dance, and artistry. Make sure to come dressed to impress and stand out! Tickets will be available soon, so keep an eye out for updates. This is a show you don’t want to miss! Are you ready?
UMOJA Gala: Night at the Masquerade
Date/Time: February 25 @ 8pm-12am
Location: Artist for Humanity Epicenter
100 W 2nd St, Boston, MA 02127
Umoja is back in 2024 with the best and biggest gala of the semester, join us for a Night at the Masquerade! Tickets coming real soon but until then, get your best fits ready and prepare to drip or drown! We’re closing out Black History Month with a Bang! This is a can’t miss event with more surprises to come, so keep your eyes peeled
Off Campus Events
Black History Month Film Festival 2024
Date/Time: February 5, 12, 16, 19 and 28
Location: in-person or virtual
The Boston Globe is proud to host its 4th annual Black History Month Film Festival. This event series aims to celebrate the lives, culture, and creativity of Black Americans through a mix of classic and new films, which will be available for viewing throughout the month. Each screening will be followed by a panel discussion to provide insight and context for these stories of strength, joy, and love.Join Globe writers and editors, filmmakers, and talent for these six installments. Please note, screenings and discussions will be a mix of in person and virtual viewing.
Film at MFA: The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
Date/Time: February 10
Location: Harry and Mildred Remis Auditorium (Auditorium 161)
465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
Based on the bestselling biography of the same name by Jeanne Theoharis and executive produced by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien, this crucial documentary about the “mother of the civil rights movement,” Rosa Parks, is a comprehensive telling of the icon’s lifelong dedication to activism. The film follows her pivotal involvement in the Montgomery bus boycott, her political endeavors alongside Congressman John Conyers in Detroit, and her fearless advocacy for various causes including voting rights and reparations until her passing in 2005. Co-presented with the Boston Globe’s A Beautiful Resistance initiative, the Boston Globe Black History Month Film Festival, and Embrace Boston. Followed by a Q&A with the director moderated by Callie Crossley.
Author Talk- Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom
Date/Time: February 6 @6pm-7pm
Location: Massachusetts Historical Society
1154 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
In 1848, a young, enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, achieved one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in American history. Posing as master and slave, they made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding out in the open on steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North. The tale of their adventure soon made them celebrities and the couple traveled another 1,000 miles, drawing thunderous applause as they spoke alongside abolitionist luminaries of the day. But even then, they were not out of danger. With the passage of a Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, all Americans became accountable for returning refugees to slavery, forcing the Crafts to flee once again—this time from the United States.
Additional Resources:
Explore BU Today’s list of media from and about Black artists
Check out Boston’s Black Owned Restaurant Challenge
Visit the Museum of African American History Exhibitions
Read a book from the Boston Public Library “Black Is..” Reading List
Engage with the resources provided by 21 Days of Unlearning Racism and Learning Anti-Racism