FREE Black History Month Events in the Chicago Area
Feb 06, 2025
FREE BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENTS
February is Black History Month. But did you know that the precursor to Black History Month, Negro History Week, was created in 1926 here in Chicago by Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History? The meeting was held at the now landmark Wabash YMCA. (Take the tour here). He selected the month of February to overlap with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln.
In 1976, it became Black History Month. Decades later, there are now several family-friendly events where you can learn more about and celebrate Black history. Chicago offers a diverse lineup of FREE events, from art exhibits and concerts to family storytimes and community markets, celebrating African American culture, creativity, and achievements. Here are a few.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH FREE EVENT LIST
Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibit
Date & Time: Jan. 20-April 27, 2025, 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: 5700 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
Description: The Griffin Museum of Science & Industry is hosting its annual Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition, the longest-running showcase of African American art in the nation. This exhibit features a diverse array of paintings, sculptures, mixed media, ceramics, photography, and fine art prints created by both professional and amateur African American artists, including youth artists aged 14-17.
Black History Month Futures Concert Series: Afrofuturism: The Freedom Metropolis
Date & Time: February 7, 10 and 11, 2025, at 11:00 AM
Location: Chicago Symphony Center
Description: Presented by Uniting Voices Chicago, this concert series celebrates Africana music and its profound impact on Chicago and the world, exploring its evolution and cultural significance.
A Tribute to Duke: Ellingtonia
Date & Time: February 8, 2025, at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Location: Kehren Center for the Arts
Description: Orbert Davis’s Chicago Jazz Philharmonic shares an original presentation paying tribute to the great Duke Ellington. To ensure access for all, the ensemble has set all tickets at $1.
https://www.chijazzphil.org/performance
Black Heritage Performing Arts Community Concert
Date & Time: February 8, 2025, 12:00 PM
Location: Emmanuel Baptist Church, 8301 S Damen Ave, Chicago, Illinois
Description: The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras shares its third annual Black Heritage concert, with the CYSO Jazz orchestra as the focal point of the musical proceedings.
https://cyso.org/event/black-heritage-performing-arts-community-concert-3/
Chicago Black Restaurant Week
Date: February 9 – 16, 2025
Description: Experience the rich culinary traditions and innovations of Black heritage by dining at participating restaurants offering special deals throughout the week. https://chiblackrestaurantweek.com/
Jazz Showcase: Black History, Black Cinema, Black Love
Date & Time: February 13, 2025:
Location: Timeout Markets Chicago, 916 W Fulton Market Chicago, IL
Description: Chicago-based jazz group Park-N-Ride celebrates Black History, Black Cinema, and Black Love with music, including from the movie soundtrack Love Jones and Claudine. Attendees can sample Time Out Market’s eclectic mix of restaurant vendors while they take in the music.
Commemorative Day | Black History Month
Date & Time: Saturday, February 22, 2025, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location: Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614
Description: Celebrate Black History Month by exploring how art has served as a catalyst for social change within Chicago's African American community. The event features interactive art activities, music, and guest speakers. (Event is free with general museum admission)
Margaret Murphy-Webb: The Legacy of Jazz Concert
Date & Time: February 23, 2025, 2:00 to 3:00 PM
Location: Garfield Park Conservatory, Horticulture Hall, 300 N. Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL
Description: Sublime sounds will fill the verdant halls of the Garfield Park Conservatory. To celebrate and cast light on the importance of jazz in culture and music, Chicago-based jazz vocalist Margaret Murphy-Webb shares a free (with registration) concert with the backing of the South Side Jazz Coalition.
https://garfieldconservatory.org/event/the-legacy-of-jazz-concert/
PlayLab PlayDate: Black History Month Storytime
Date & Time: February 26, 2025; 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
Description: Families with young children can attend a special PlayLab PlayDate at the Field Museum. This drop-in storytime session, hosted by the Chicago Public Library, celebrates Black identities, communities, and history through engaging stories and songs. The event is free for museum visitors and coincides with Illinois Resident Free Days, making it accessible for all.
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/our-events/playlab-playdates/playlab-playdate-black-history-month
Paper, Vinyl and Song: Chicago Blues
Date & Time: February 27, 2025, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Location: 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago IL
Description: The February meeting of the Paper, Vinyl, and Song book club explores the rich history of the Chicago blues through listening, live performance, and book discussion (with a suggested reading list available through the library).
https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/events/67853d5b8fc0a32800158c0e
Chicago Park District
Date & Time: Varied
Location: Varied
Description: The Chicago Park District offers a variety of events throughout February to commemorate Black History Month. Highlights include the Umoja Event, a celebration of unity, and smaller community gatherings at parks across the city. Most events are free or charge minimal fees. The district has also curated an online series, including the “Named in Their Honor” presentation, which explores the legacy of African Americans who have shaped Chicago's parks.
https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/black-history-month
If you know of a FREE Black History Month Event that is not listed here, please send us the information - Name, Event Date & Time, Location and Event Description - to us at [email protected] and we will add it and list it here in the Bronzecomm Newsletter.
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