by Jas Keimig
It’s February, which means it’s time to highlight and uplift the rich history, culture, and traditions of Black people in the United States. We even have one extra day this year (Feb. 29, it’s a Leap Year!), which means you have ample time to make your plans to check out the Call to Conscience Black History Month Museum at the Columbia City Theater, pour candles with Noir Lux at MOHAI, and learn about Bo Diddley moving the blues into rock ʼn’ roll.
Read on for more Black History Month recommendations.
Call to Conscience
Feb. 1–29, Tuesdays–Sundays, 11a.m.–4 p.m.
Rainier Avenue Radio at Columbia City Theater
4916 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle
For the entire month of February, Rainier Avenue Radio has converted the Columbia City Theater into the Call to Conscience Black History Month Museum. The space is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of Black people around the Pacific Northwest. There’s a guided tour through exhibits and installations about the Seattle Black Panther Party, the Black Heritage Society of Washington, the Hartsfield Family and Slave Quilt Collection, and many more.
To Sleep with Anger
Feb. 7–11
Northwest Film Forum
1515 12th Ave., Seattle
Director Charles Burnett is America’s foremost storyteller of Black American life. In his germinal film, To Sleep with Anger, Southern drifter and trickster Harry (Danny Glover) randomly visits his long-lost friend Gideon (Paul Butler) who lives in South Central Los Angeles. While Gideon and his family are initially happy to receive their old friend, Harry’s presence, folktales, and energy slowly start to drive a wedge into this upper-middle-class Black family … It’s truly one of the greatest and most quintessentially American films of all time! My former Stranger colleague, friend, and noted Aquarian Charles Mudede will introduce the film on Feb. 8. Don’t miss!
An Evening With Tina Campt: Black Feminist Visual Culture
Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m.
The Wyncote NW Forum
1119 8th Ave., Seattle
Black feminist theorist and scholar Tina Campt is coming to Town Hall to present work from her forthcoming book Art in a Time of Sorrow, which explores the relationship between grief, loss, and contemporary art.
Soul of Seattle
Feb. 10, 5:15–10 p.m.
Block 41
115 Block St., Seattle
According to their website, Soul of Seattle’s mission is to “help foster relationships and empower the community through food” as well as to “shed light on the diverse food and Black-owned businesses within Seattle.” The food event is hosted every Black History Month and features a wide variety of Black-owned restaurants and businesses for all to try while raising money for a community cause. This year, attendees can feast on food from businesses like Communion, Red Lounge, and Blk Pepper Catering with the money raised going towards Look, Listen & Learn TV and After School All-Stars – Puget Sound.
Candle Pouring With Noir Lux
Feb. 11, 12–3 p.m.
MOHAI
860 Terry Ave. N., Seattle
The local Black- and woman-owned candle company Noir Lux is on deck at MOHAI for an all-ages candle pouring workshop. Come through to learn about candle making and craft a customized candle (made of premium soy wax and phthalate-free fragrance oils) for your own at-home olfactory pleasures. The event notice says that candles take about an hour to cure, so get there early and spend that hour perusing the exhibitions MOHAI has to offer.
Black Ice: An American Sitcom Improvised
Sundays in February, 7 p.m.
Unexpected Productions
1428 Post Alley, Seattle
Every Sunday in February, Unexpected Productions Improv is asking you to be a part of their live studio audience as they do an improvised television sitcom in the style of TV pioneer Norman Lear. Taking inspiration from Lear’s politically and socially forward shows, the improv group will be calling for crowd suggestions on how to make their episode of television the best possible!
Advancing Racial Equity: Revisiting Dr. King’s Lost Speech
Feb. 13, 6 p.m.
Rainier Arts Center
3513 S. Alaska St., Seattle
United Way of King County has brought together a lineup of panelists to discuss a speech from Dr. Martin Luther King that had been lost for decades until it was discovered on acetate film in 2008. Panelists include Colleen Echohawk of Eighth Generation, King County Councilmember Jorge L. Barón, and Glover Empower Mentoring’s Marcus Boston with United Way of King County’s Gordon McHenry Jr. serving as moderator. The Rhapsody Project will also be on deck to perform for the audience.
Black History Month Keynote With Dr. Doretha Williams
Feb. 15, 6–8 p.m.
Northwest African American Museum
2300 S. Massachusetts St., Seattle
The Northwest African American Museum is celebrating Black History Month with a keynote speech from Smithsonian scholar and director of The Robert F. Smith Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History Dr. Doretha Williams, who will be discussing Black family history and genealogy.
BE Great Celebration
Feb. 16, 4–7 p.m. & Feb. 17, 12–3 p.m.
Occidental Square
117 S. Washington St., Seattle
Mosey down to Occidental Square to herald Black Excellence at the free two-day BE Great! Celebration hosted by the Downtown Seattle Organization. There will be a pop-up night market and performances from local musicians, as well as food and art that highlights and uplifts Black culture.
Fannie Lou Hamer’s America
Feb. 17, 7 p.m.
New Freeway Hall
5018 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle
The Freedom Socialist Party is screening Fannie Lou Hamer’s America, a documentary about the life and work of activist and organizer Fannie Lou Hamer. Born and raised in rural Mississippi, Hamer was an influential voice in the Civil Rights Movement and a relentless organizer on behalf of those in poverty. After the screening of the film, the Freedom Socialist Party will host an hour-long discussion with community organizer and former City Council candidate Tye Reed.
Black & Boujee
Through Feb. 20
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art
550 Winslow Way E., Bainbridge Island
To visit this exhibition, you’re going to have to hop on a ferry to Bainbridge Island! “Black & Boujee” at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art focuses on the concept of luxury in Black culture by challenging Eurocentric ideals and showcasing the work of Black designers, artists, and creators. On display is an eclectic mix of paintings, sculptures, mixed media work, and fashion all made by Black artists.
Hank Willis Thomas: LOVERULES
Feb. 24–Aug. 4
Henry Art Gallery
15th Ave. and NE 41st St., Seattle
Up north, the Henry Art Gallery is putting on a show — “LOVERULES” — of 90 works by lauded conceptual artist and activist Hank Willis Thomas curated from the collection of the Jordan D. Schnitzer Family Foundation. Including some of his most famous works across several different mediums, this exhibition puts Thomas’s investigations of advertisements, brands, iconography, race, identity, and consumption on full display.
Who Taught the Blues to Rock & Roll? Bo Diddley
Through Feb. 29, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
MoPOP
325 5th Ave. N., Seattle
In honor of Black History Month, the Museum of Pop Culture is hosting a pop-up exhibition dedicated to the pioneering brilliance of legendary guitarist Bo Diddley. Influencing everyone from The Beatles to Elvis, Diddley was a key figure in making the blues birth rock ʼn’ roll. This show will feature artifacts from MoPOP’s permanent collection, including one of Diddley’s custom Gretsch electric guitars, a performance poster from one of his sets at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, and an oral history about the rock icon.
Jas Keimig is a writer and critic based in Seattle. They previously worked on staff at The Stranger, covering visual art, film, music, and stickers. Their work has also appeared in Crosscut, South Seattle Emerald, i-D, Netflix, and The Ticket. They also co-write Unstreamable for Scarecrow Video, a column and screening series highlighting films you can’t find on streaming services. They won a game show once.
📸 Featured Image: “Kama Mama, Kama Binti (Like Mother, Like Daughter)” will be on view at Hank Willis Thomas’s new show at the Henry Art Gallery, “LOVERULES.” (Photo: Aaron Wessling Photography, courtesy of Henry Art Gallery)
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