Black History Evoked

Poetry, Mask-Making, a Deeper Understanding of the Maritime Dimension of the Underground Railroad, and More

An exhibit at the African Burial Ground National Monument in Lower Manhattan recreates a funeral service among freed persons of color in colonial era New York.

The African Burial Ground National Monument, at 290 Broadway, will host several weeks of observances celebrating Black History Month starting tomorrow, Saturday, February 3, at 11:30am, when elected officials including State Assembly member Charles Fall and City Council member Christopher Marte, along with District Leaders Mariama James and Ron Thomas, will gather at the monument to commemorate the financial and physical contributions of enslaved Africans in colonial era New York. The program will honor local Black leaders, artists, industry chiefs, and neighbors with performances, and will be followed by a community party commemorating the Black diaspora and Pan-Africanism at La Diaspora Bar and Restaurant (91 Baxter Street), from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. Admission to the reception is $40, but free for those attending the observance at the Burial Ground. Anyone wishing to participate is asked to RSVP by emailing [email protected].

The African Burial Ground is the oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in North America for free and enslaved Africans. It was discovered in 1991 when archeological excavation in advance of the construction of a federal office tower at 290 Broadway revealed human skeletal remains 30 feet below street level. Eventually, upwards of 15,000 intact skeletal remains of enslaved and free Africans who lived in New York from the 1630s to the 1790s were discovered. The burial ground is now part of the National Park Service.

Events continue at the African Burial Ground National Monument each of the following Saturdays in February. Programs will include a craft segment such as jewelry-making or African mask-making, a performance, and a talk or book reading. On Presidents Day, Monday, February 19, at 11am, National Park Service staffers will lead a discussion of “Making the Image Behind Washington: Enslavement and the Presidency,” which will highlight the enslaved community surrounding America’s first President. All events at the African Burial Ground National Monument are free and open to the public. More information can be found here.

On February 22, at 6pm, join the Downtown Alliance at the Alamo Draft House (28 Liberty Street) to view the award-winning 2016 documentary “I Am Not Your Negro,” an exploration of race, power, and American history by author and essayist James Baldwin. After the screening, stay for a talkback session with Professor Dagmawi Woubshet, a scholar, writer, and translator who has focused on Baldwin in his career. The conversation will discuss the film’s themes and Baldwin’s insights, and apply them to contemporary understanding of race, equality, and social justice. The cost: $5. Make a reservation here.

Two events on Sunday, February 25, illuminate Black history in Lower Manhattan. At 2pm, a livestreamed presentation by the National Lighthouse Museum will delve into Sailing to Freedom: Recovering and Re-centering the Maritime Dimension of the Underground Railroad. According to the museum, “With few exceptions, successful escapes from enslavement in the Deep South were achieved not overland, but by water. ”

At 2:30pm the same day, the South Street Seaport Museum, at 12 Fulton Street, will host Poetry of Enslavement and the African Burial Ground with poet David Mills.

Matthew Fenton

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DOWNTOWN CALENDAR

Friday, February 2

1pm

The Birth of New York City's Municipal Government

Livestreamed

On February 2, 1653, the States General in The Hague and the Dutch West India Company established a Netherlands-type government structure for New Amsterdam, the Dutch outpost at the southern tip of Manhattan island. This marked the beginning of representative government in New Amsterdam, which became New York 14 years later, and was the forerunner of the current City Council and established ideals of tolerance and individual rights that shaped American history. Free.

4pm

Groundhog Day at Duane Park

Ice-sculpting, cookies, and hot chocolate. Free.

5:45pm

Lila Bloom

Perelman Performing Arts Center lobby

Lila Bloom is a singer with musical influences from Ella Fitzgerald to Bjork, and Radiohead to Madison Cunningham. Free.

Saturday, February 3

11:30am-1pm

Lower Manhattan Black History Month Celebration

See feature story above. RSVP to [email protected].

12pm-5pm

Ice Sculpture Show

Governors Island

12pm-2pm: live ice carv­ing along Colonels Row; 2:30pm: awards ceremony; 3pm-5pm: post-show party. Free.

12pm

Middle Grade Launch for The Thirteenth Circle

McNally Jackson, 4 Fulton Street

Celebrate The Thirteenth Circle, an exciting middle grade mystery. The authors will read, sign books, and answer questions about crop circles and aliens.

12pm

Hamilton and Washington Secrets of the Past Walking Tour

Meet at Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, One Bowling Green

Experience American history on the streets where it happened, and through the lives of our first commander-in-chief and president, George Washington, and destitute-immigrant-turned-Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. $38.

2pm

Harmony in Strings: Shanghai Pingtan Extravaganza

China Institute, 40 Rector Street

Pingtan, known as “评弹” in Chinese, is an age-old performing art originating in southern China that weaves together storytelling, melodic singing, and humor to vividly depict an array of characters and narratives.

8pm

Natu Camara

Perelman Performing Arts Center lobby

Singer Natu Camara hails from the vibrant heart of West Africa. Free.

8pm

Max Amini Live in New York

Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street

Standup comedy. Second show at 10pm. $40+.

Sunday, February 4

12pm

Print Your Own Valentine's Day Card

South Street Seaport Museum, 211 Water Street

Use the Seaport Museum’s working collection of 19th century historical printing equipment to print your own card.

2pm

Lunar New Year Family Festival 2024

China Institute, 40 Rector Street

Celebrate the 2024 Year of the Dragon with a lion dance and interactive workshops tailored for all age groups including Taizhou embroidery, rice dough sculpturing, Song-dynasty tea whisking and tasting, Nan-Song dynasty pottery sculpting, 3D sugar painting, woodblock printing, and more.

2pm

Hybrid Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music

South Street Seaport Museum and livestreamed

Join the lively chantey experience either in-person at the Seaport Museum’s introduction galleries or virtually via Zoom. Free.

3pm

Leila’s Violin Screening and Discussion

Museum of Jewish Heritage

Film about 13-year-old Leila, who, after the loss of her mother, travels from California to her mother’s birthplace – an ancient settlement of Mountain Jews in the Quba Mountains of Azerbaijan. The screening will be followed by a showing of the short documentary Behind the Violin, a performance by Azerbaijani violinist Sabina Rakcheyeva, accompanied by Nargiz Aliyarova, and a discussion with director Ella Leya and Azerbaijani Diaspora Committee representative Salhat Abbasova. $10 suggested donation.

7pm

Between Two Knees

Perelman Performing Arts Center

First night of an extended run. This play centers on one family’s story of love, loss, and resilience spanning the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee, forced re-education at Indian boarding schools, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam and the American Indian Movement occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973. $29+.

2021 photograph © Robert Simko

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