Celebrate 2017’s Black History Month in New York City with a rich offering of culture, food, history and tours. You’ll find events in Harlem, Central Park, Riverside Church and even the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Here are 15 ways to celebrate Black History Month in New York City this February.
15. Beuford Smith Photographs Black Lives
The photographer, Beuford Smith, was a founding member – and later served as president – of the group Kamoinge, a forum of African-American photographers with a focus on cultural roots. The new exhibit “Black Lives: Photographs by Beuford Smith” now on view at Keith de Lellis Gallery, features photographs from Smith’s career, taken in the turbulent 60s, documenting New York City from the tumultuous days after the assignation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the heart of the jazz scene.
Black Lives: Photographs by Beuford Smith will be on view from February 9 to March 25. Keith de Lellis Gallery is located at 1045 Madison Avenue, #3 at 80th Street.
14. Black Cowboys at The Studio Museum in Harlem
Did you know that during the period we think of as the Old West, one in four U.S. cowboys was African-American? Expanding that narrative, the Studio Museum in Harlem’s exhibit Black Cowboy aims to overcome the historical omission of the long history African-American communities have held in the keeping and training of horses. The exhibit, Black Cowboy, organized by Associate Curator, Amanda Hunt, features photographs and cinematic materials exploring the history of this tradition, and explores locations where this tradition is alive and well today. Black Cowboy will be on view at the Studio Museum in Harlem through March 5th.
While you’re there, check out Harlem Postcards, an ongoing program reflecting the culture of Harlem. Each of the four postcards is a limited edition, and free to visitors of the museum.
Follow the Studio Museum in Harlem outside the walls of the museum, in the installation, InHarlem, on view through July 25, 2017 in four Harlem parks.