Dr. Margaret Burroughs, founder of the DuSable Museum of African American History. Courtesy of the DuSable Museum
Black History Month is an anticipated annual event that was started in 1915 in Chicago by Carter G, Woodson and it continues to be an important avenue for celebrating African American achievements across the country. Chicago’s extensive African American cultural history supplies a rich assortment of activities for this year’s events, which includes both virtual and in-person options. Check out our list of Chicago Black History Month events for 2023:
MUSEUM EXHIBITS
American Writers Museum
180 N. Michigan Ave.
Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice: Honoring the significant contributions of Black writers to American letters, the American Writers Museum exhibit explores racial injustice through the work of Black writers from the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement. The online exhibit, Frederick Douglass: Agitator is also on view.
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago Ave.
Faith Ringgold: American People explores the multi-disciplinary work of artist, educator and activist Faith Ringgold, including her ground-breaking story quilts, paintings and soft sculptures.
The Sojourner Truth Film Festival showcases films by and about Black women on February 3.
Museum of Science & Industry
5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Dr.
Attend one of the longest-running annual exhibits of African American artists with the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition. This year the show includes youth artists between the ages of 14 and 17, at the Museum of Science & Industry.
DuSable Museum of African American History
740 E. 65th Place
Discover the cultural impact of the art from the iconic Johnson Publishing building with The Art of Our Storytellers: Selections From the Johnson Publishing Company Collection at the DuSable Museum of African American History. Other exhibits to explore include Freedom, Resistance, and the Journey Toward Equality,and The Harold Washington Story.
Southside Community Art Center
3831 S. Michigan Ave.
Bronzeville in Reel Time with South Side Home Movie Project displays films that document Bronzeville from the 1940s through the 1960s by filmmaker Ramon Williams on February 3.
Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St.
Remembering Dr. King: 1929-1968 exhibits key moments in the life of the civil rights icon with 25 photos.
Black History Month Family Event focuses on the theme of African Americans and the Arts on February 24.
