DMV FUN
Celebrate Black History Month in D.C.!
BY ADRANISHA STEPHENS
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Feb. 23, 24
Set to an original score, experience
the four aspects of expressive
movement of Kuchipudi: heritage,
freedom, storytelling and community.

Dance Place, D.C. Tickets start at
$15, Saturday, 8 p.m. Sunday, 4 p.m.,
danceplace.org. Urban Bush Women
Feb. 17
Experience crafted personal narratives
blended through dance-theater style
conversations. Costume design by
DeeDee Gomes, projection design
by Nick Hussong and lighting design
by Xavier Pierce, “Hair & Other
Stories” explore startling perceptions
of beauty, identity and race in the
current age. Dance Place, D.C. Tickets
start at $15, danceplace.org. Check
website for times.

This annual Black History Month
series will team up with the Coalition
for African Americans in the
Performing Arts (CAAPA) to dedicate
and remember the legacies of lesser
known Black musicians, starting with
Sissieretta Jones, who is best known
as one of the first African Americans
to perform at Carnegie Hall in New
York City in 1892. Montpelier Arts
Center, Laurel, MD. Free, 4 p.m.,
pgparks.com. Through April 20, 2020
Black History Month is celebrated throughout
the D.C. area in many unique ways; there’s
theatre, dance, music, visual arts and so much
more you can choose to enjoy with your family.

Check out some ways to celebrate this
month with a few art and culture events
commemorating and honoring the history and
contributions that African Americans have made
to the U.S.

Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater
Emancipation Proclamation
Family Activities
The Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater will bring the power of dance
to its 60th anniversary gala, showing
all the signature classics. Proceeds
will benefit Ailey’s D.C. programs,
including the creation of new works,
arts-in-education activities and
scholarships. The Kennedy Center,
D.C. Tickets start at $49,
kennedy-center.org. Are there any history buffs in your
family? If so, don’t miss your chance
to view the original Emancipation
Proclamation and learn more about
this important document through
hands-on discovery with your family
and friends. National Archives, D.C.

10 a.m.-4 p.m., Free, archives.gov.

Feb. 5 – 10
Feb. 11 – 16
30 WashingtonFAMILY FEBRUARY 2019
Voices from the Past:
Sissieretta Jones
Feb. 16, 17
A Right to the City
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and
Richard M. Nixon. There are also walls
lined with portraits of cultural figures
such as Peggy Fleming, Arthur Ashe,
Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix and Janis
Joplin, to name a few. Smithsonian
National Portrait Gallery, D.C. Free,
npg.si.edu. Check website for times.

Explore the rich history and learn
about neighborhood change in the
nation’s capital. The exhibition tells
a tale of local D.C. residents who
reshaped their neighborhoods in
many unique ways. Smithsonian
Anacostia Community Museum, D.C.

Free, anacostia.si.edu. Check website
for times.

Madre Africa - African
Heritage in Latin America
Feb. 5
Learn how African cultures
influenced and inspired new rhythms,
instruments and musical styles, such
as candombe, festejo, tango and
salsa. Audience members even get
the chance to join the group on stage
to try instruments and dance steps.

Publick Playhouse, Cheverly, MD.

Tuesday, 10:15 a.m. & Noon, $6-8,
arts.pgparks.com. One Year: 1968, An
American Odyssey
Through May 19
The show relies on roughly thirty
portraits in exhibition form to tell the
story of 1968, with representations
of Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F.

Momma’s Safe Haven’s 6th
Annual “DC’S YOUTH HAS
TALENT” Black History Show
Feb. 23
The 6th annual black history talent
show organized by Momma’s Safe
Haven, a local nonprofit organization,
will give youth an opportunity to
display their talents on stage in front
of friends, family and community
members. Momma’s Safe Haven
was founded to encourage self-
love, higher education and self-
employment by offering a wealth
of support and resources. Charles
Hart Middle School, 601 Mississippi
Ave., S.E., D.C. Noon-3 p.m., Free,
mommassafehaven.org. Women’s History
Walking Tours
Feb. 2
In this interactive walking tour,
experience D.C. from a whole new
perspective. Choose from seven
options including a book talk featuring
local authors who are passionate
about the nation’s capital.

Check website for locations.

$35, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.,
atourofherown.com. ■
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Kalanidhi Dance