How to Celebrate Black History Month in Seattle
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X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X at Seattle Opera
Image: Courtesy Opera Omaha
We shouldn't need to wait until our calendars hit February to honor and learn from the experiences of Black Americans, but Black History Month in Seattle comes with a lot of wonderful programming: from lectures to movies to an opera about the life of Malcolm X.
Always Prepared—Building the Road For Equality
Feb 1 | Washington State History Museum
University of Washington Tacoma professor Dr. Luther Head leads a discussion on Black military service, and how it paved the way for increased democracy and Civil Rights in America. In conjunction with Tacoma's Buffalo Soldiers Museum.
MLK Series: I am Black History
Feb 1 | Highline College
Dr. AK Sterling presents an alternative vision for Black History Month, expanding its focus beyond well-known figures and events to explore "the history of identification, accomplishments, innovation, and excellence within the Black culture."
A Seattle History Worth Preserving: Buffalo Soldiers
Feb 1–28 | Seattle Center Armory
Back when Discovery Park was still known as Fort Lawton, hundreds of Black soldiers were stationed there as part of the US Army’s 25th infantry. This ongoing exhibit at Seattle Center looks at the history of the revered Buffalo Soldiers and their contributions to the region. On February 5, a jazz performance showcases their musical legacy.
Call to Conscience Black History Museum
Feb 1–28 | Columbia city theater
Art Opening at Wa Na Wari
Feb 3 | Central District
The new show at Wa Na Wari, a Black cultural center located in a historic home in the Central District, features airbrush pieces, photography, and more from artists Marin Burnett, Brandon Donahue-Shipp, DK, and Christopher Iduma. Live music and refreshments from 6–8pm.
Black Ice: An American Sitcom Improvised
Feb 4–25 | Unexpected Productions' Market THeater
Improvisers from Unexpected Productions will get together every Sunday to create an on-the-spot sitcom in the style of Norman Lear classics like All In the Family and The Jeffersons from scratch in front of a live studio audience: you. Sunday nights.
The Life of Bessie Coleman
Feb 4 | Museum of Flight
Bessie Coleman was one of the first female aviators to earn a pilot's license, and the very first African American woman to earn one. She couldn't get a license in the United States so she saved up money to move to France by working as a manicurist in Chicago. Her great-niece Gigi performs a historical reenactment of her life.
The Life and Legacy of Malcolm X with Tamara Payne
Feb 7 | Town Hall
Tamara Payne, whose father Les authored the Pulitzer-winning biography The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X, and who served as primary researcher on the book, discusses the reporting and research behind a modern classic work of American history.
The Sound of Black Music
Feb 7 | Kirkland Performance Center
An Evening with Tina Campt
Feb 8 | Town Hall
Soul of Seattle
Feb 10 | Block 41
Candle Pouring with Noir Lux
Feb 11 | MOHAI
Noir Lux, a local Black woman–owned candle company, will host a pouring bar at MOHAI Mercantile. Participants will get a lesson in candle-making, and the chance to pour their own soy wax candle.
Revisiting Dr. King's Lost Speech
Feb 13 | Rainier Arts Center
Part of the Advancing Racial Equity series, this program will feature a discussion of a lost speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The panel includes Eighth Generation CEO Colleen Echohawk, County Councilmember Jorge Barón, Glover Empower Mentoring's Marcus Boston, and moderator Gordon McHenry, Jr., of the United Way. There will also be a performance by the Rhapsody Project.
Black History Month Keynote Program
Feb 15 | Northwest african american museum
The Northwest African American Museum hosts Dr. Doretha Williams, of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture for a discussion on Black family history and genealogy.
X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X
Feb 24–Mar 9 | Seattle Opera