Pittsburgh Celebrates Black History Month

Throughout February, numerous Pittsburgh-area organizations will celebrate Black History Month with commemorative events and programming. Here is a sampling of what’s happening:

City-Council Building

Photographs and memorabilia will recognize opera trailblazers at the City-County Building’s Grand Lobby in a monthlong showcase. The memorabilia recognizes the National Negro Opera Company, which was founded in Pittsburgh as the nation’s first permanent African American opera company in 1941. The showcase will also recognize the National Opera House, a local nonprofit dedicated to restoring, preserving and maintaining the company’s original headquarters in Homewood. What is displayed Downtown is also available to view online here between Feb. 1-28.

When: Opening Reception for the public: Feb. 3, 6 p.m.

Where: City-County Building Lobby, 414 Grant St., Downtown

Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum

At this year’s John L. Ford, Sr., African American Heritage Celebration event, panelists and historians JaQuay Edward Carter and Michael Kraus will discuss “The Black Experience during the Vietnam Era.” At the time, approximately 300,000 African American soldiers served in the Vietnam War and faced challenges related to racial discrimination during and after their service.

This year’s annual and free event aims to educate viewers about the Black experience during the Vietnam Era. It was created in 2011 by Ford and renamed in his honor in 2020. The event focuses on the sacrifice and contributions of African Americans during the American conflicts annually.

When: Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: 4141 Fifth Ave., Third Floor, Oakland; Virtually on Facebook Live and YouTube.

Heinz History Center  

This month, the Heinz History Center will present a series of Black History Month programs including a film series, lecture and its long-term African American History exhibits:

• From Slavery to Freedom Film Series: “The Hero”

In a virtual screening, “The Hero” tells of how the Angolan people try to reconstruct their lives after 40 years of constant war. The film also tells the story of Luanda, a city that tries to absorb millions of people displaced by strife and global economic change.

The screening is free with advanced registration. To register, visit heinzhistorycenter.org/events.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 12, 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Where: Virtually

• 11th Annual Black History Month Lecture: David J. Dennis Jr.

Award-winning journalist and author David K. Dennis, Jr. will discuss the life of his father, David Dennis Sr., a prominent leader and activist during the Civil Rights Movement who had a role in organizing Freedom Rides, lunch counter sit-ins, and voter registration in the Jim Crow South.

He discusses this, and more, in his book, “The Movement Made Us: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride.” His other book “The Movement Made Us” is a Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Bestseller, Nautilus Book Award Winner and one of Kirkus Reviews 100 best nonfiction books of 2022.

Dennis is a current senior writer at Andscape, formerly named the Undefeated, and panelist on ESPN’s “Around the Horn.” The lecture will be followed by a Q&A session and book signing.

To register visit heinzhistorycenter.org/events.

When: Thursday, Feb. 20 6 to 7:30 p.m.

• Long-Term Exhibits Highlighting Black Heritage in Western Pa.

The Heinz History Center also hosts long-term exhibits and displays of African American history    on the history center’s six floors including the ”From Slavery to Freedom” exhibition and the “Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation” exhibition.

Where: Heinz History Center, 121 Smallman St., Strip District

Tuskegee Airmen Museum at Hosanna House

Hosanna House’s Center for Aviation Technology and Training showcases the inspiring legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

On display is “Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight,” an exhibit on loan from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service that highlights the extraordinary achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military pilots in U.S. history. Their courage, skill and perseverance not only changed the course of aviation but also broke racial barriers, inspiring generations to pursue careers in flight and aerospace.

Guests will also have access to multimedia presentations, historical artifacts and immersive storytelling about these aviation pioneers. To learn more, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iIuibXrl38.

When: Every Saturday and Sunday in February from noon to 4 p.m.

Where: Sherwood Event Center, 400 Sherwood Road, Wilkinsburgh

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Children from kindergarten to fifth grade can get involved with various opportunities to learn and celebrate Black culture through classes at the Carnegie Library.

In a class, children will learn about Pittsburgh actor and fashionista Billy Porter and engage in creativity by designing a red carpet look for a paper doll.

When: Saturday, Feb. 1, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

In another class, children will learn about African Americans who impacted aerospace and aviation such as David E. Harris, Guion Bluford and Bessie Coleman, the first African American and Native American woman to hold a pilot’s license.

When: Friday, Feb. 7, 4 to 5 p.m.

Children will also learn about the importance of making art by hand and creating art in the style of Ghanaian artist El Anatsui, known for his tapestries made from bottle caps and copper wire.

When: Saturday, Feb. 8, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Where: The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, 440 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

Westmoreland Museum of American Art

Celebrate Black History Month with free art-making activities and performances that will honor the legacy of the African American community. Including live West African drumming by the Ibeji Ensemble, face painting from Beanie Paints, live-written poetry by Haley Clancey, food options from Black-owned food vendors, community partner tabling and a Black History Month talk by former associate teaching professor Anthony B. Mitchell of Penn State Greater Allegheny.

When: Saturday, Feb. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St. Greensburg