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From thought-provoking exhibits to powerful live performances, Black History Month in Alachua County offers opportunities to learn, reflect, and celebrate. Honor the legacy, culture, and achievements of Black leaders, artists, and trailblazers with this curated list of events and local resources.
Black History Month Events
STEAM Crafts at Alachua County Library District Headquarters
Thursday, February 6, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Celebrate Black History Month with crafts and activities inspired by the work of influential Black scientists.
The Other Book: Black History in Alachua County at Haile Homestead
Saturday, February 8, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Before schools were integrated, Black teachers taught from two books, the official book sanctioned by the segregated school boards, and the other book, teaching the truth about Black history. This course is an experience of Black history in Alachua County from the Other Book.
The Gainesville Big Band Presents: “Black, Brown, and Beige” at Meizon Church
Sunday, February 9, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Celebrate Black history with culture and music as the Gainesville Big Band presents Duke Ellington’s Black, Brown, and Beige Suite. Join an unforgettable afternoon filled with the timeless music of Duke Ellington. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to experience the iconic suite performed live.
African Mask Workshop at Alachua County Library District, Newberry Branch
Wednesday, February 12, 3:15 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Create masks out of paper and learn about African American heritage.
The Journey, Past, Present and Future at Alachua County Library District, High Springs Branch
Tuesday, February 18, 3 p.m.
Celebrate the history and culture of African Americans past, present, and future. Enjoy performances by local artists including storytelling, singing, and dancing.
A Celebration of Black, Love, Art and Poetry at Santa Fe College Blount Center
Saturday, February 15, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Poets and visual artists will feature the essence of Black love in a poetry showcase and local visual artists.
Learn How to Paint Like Jean-Michel Basquiat at Alachua County Library District, Cone Park Branch
Wednesday, February 19, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Listen to a short presentation on the renowned Black Artist, then use inspiration to paint on a canvas.
Living History Honoring and Celebrating Black Pillars in The Community at St. Matthew Baptist Church
Friday, February 21, 7 p.m., Saturday, February 22, 11 a.m.
The Saint Matthew Baptist church youth is celebrating the accomplishments of their very own Deac. Horace (Skeet) Garrison and the A. L. Mebane high school alumni. You are invited to attend and celebrate.
The Florida Invitational Step Show, “The Stroll” at Bo Diddley Plaza
Saturday, February 22, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Join African American sororities and fraternities, local cheer and youth dance teams for an electrifying step show in downtown Gainesville. Enjoy food trucks and community information booths.
African American Read-In at Alachua County Library District, Alachua Branch
Sunday, February 23, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Salute Black authors and Black literature (old and new). Listen to stories and music performances or read or perform one yourself.
Matthew Lewey, Intergenerational Celebration at the Historic Thomas Center
Sunday, February 23, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Join an afternoon of conversation and learn about the life story of a local pioneer. Matthew Lewey served in the Civil War before moving to Newnansville (present-day Alachua) where he became the postmaster and mayor. He also served in the Florida House of Representatives and founded the Gainesville Sentinel as the first African American newspaper editor in Florida.
Dr. Ronald Foreman Lecture Series: Fireside Chat with Bomani Jones at The Reitz Union
Wednesday, February 26, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Join the African American Studies program on Race and Sport, which features Sports Analyst and Host Bomani Jones. This event is part of Dr. Ronald Foreman’s lecture series, an annual Black History Month event hosted by the African American Studies program. Admission is free.
Cultural Resources:
Black History Month Video Playlist
View more than 30 videos featuring Black community leaders, meaningful exhibits and more.
Alachua County Digital Black Heritage Trail
The Alachua County Digital Black Heritage Trail map and website aim to resist the systematic, century-long erasure and forced removal of Black life in Alachua County. Demonstrative of the resilience and resistance of Black place-making and institution-building, this map reflects the intergenerational memories of Black belonging in Alachua County.
Black History Month with the Alachua County Library District
View upcoming events at Alachua County Library District branch locations and check out a library staff selected book list.
Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection at the Harn Museum of Art
The nationally traveling exhibition from Spelman College Museum of Fine Art Comes to the Harn. Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection highlights the works of masters, pioneers, and trailblazers who anchor the collection of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.
Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman College has long been an important cultural hub. The historically Black liberal arts college for women began collecting objects in 1899, and in 1996 the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art opened with the mission to uplift art by and about women of the African diaspora.
Image details: Carrie Mae Weems (b. 1953), “Color Real and Imagined,” 2014, archival inkjet print with silkscreen color blocks, 54 3/4 x 38 3/4 in. Spelman College Museum of Fine Art. Gift of Laural Shackelford.
Matheson History Museum Online Exhibition – We’re Tired of Asking: Black Thursday and Civil Rights at the University of Florida
This exhibition follows one slice of African American history in Gainesville, but certainly not all of Gainesville’s Black history. Our goal is to show the Civil Rights movement in Gainesville from the 1960s until the early 70s and how that affected the University of Florida’s racial atmosphere. In a great show of strength on April 15, 1971, Black students decided to take a stand in a protest at Tigert Hall on the UF campus. Their interaction with President Stephen O’Connell would change the course of the university forever.
Evergreen Cemetery Self-Guided Tour
401 SE 21st Ave., Gainesville, FL 32641
On-site honorary signage will indicate these gravesites for neighbors wishing to take a self-guided tour of the city’s only municipal cemetery, established in 1856. Explore the historic cemetery for a self-guided walking tour of African Americans located in the cemetery such as bluesman Willie Green, Sarah McKnight and many others.