We’re at the halfway point, but many local Black History Month celebrations are still on tap in Queens this February. Activities include dance, fashion, lectures, and music.
Here’s the list, arranged by region.
Northeast
Queens County Farm Museum hosts Black History Storytime from Feb. 17 to Feb. 21. Starting daily at 11 am, these sessions feature read-aloud tales followed by discussions.
Admission is free, and here’s the schedule: Underground Railroad on Feb. 17; Frederick Douglass on Feb. 18; Tuskegee Airmen on Feb. 19; George Washington Carver on Feb. 20; and Louis Armstrong on Feb. 21.
Stay at QCFM for Black Owned Farms in the Early 1800s on Feb. 28 at 6 pm. J. Keith Doherty, a former Professor of History and Art History at Boston University, lectures on Bronx farms that were owned by free Black men between 1799 and 1827.
Since he returned to his native New York in 2012, Doherty has authored several articles and a short book on the history of the Bronx and Westchester. He’s also a researcher and educator at Philipse Manor Hall in Yonkers, and leads tours of Manhattan for Big Onion.
The lecture is free, and QCFM’s entrance is at 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy. in Floral Park. A large parking lot is on site.
Central
Head over to the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning for West African Dance on Feb. 21 and Feb. 22.
Both sessions start at 8 pm with Kofago Dance Ensemble on Feb. 21 and FANIKE! African Dance Troupe on Feb. 22.
Prices run from $10 to $30, and JCAL is located at 153-10 Jamaica Ave.
Queens Public Library presents African Americans and the Fashion Industry at Central Branch (89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica) on Feb. 18 at 6 pm.
Fashion industry insiders — Dyese Matthews from Parsons School of Design; clothing designers Cassandra Bromfield and Douglas Says; milliner Lisa McFadden; and Jacqueline Love Fashion School of Etiquette Founder Jackie Love — discuss their practices, processes, and sources of inspiration.
Get used to Jackie Love because QPL Hip Hop Coordinator Ralph McDaniels and she will organize a fashion show, African Americans in Uniform, on Feb. 20 from 4 pm to 7 pm. Set for the Central Branch too, this second annual extravaganza features youth designer Amirah Holmes from Qumara Boutique and fashion commentator Athena Dent with music by DJ Stokes.
Stay at the Central Branch for a music celebration on Feb. 25 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Three-time Grammy nominee Alphonso Horne, who’s currently playing trumpet on Broadway in “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical,” will jam with Jillian Grace, an artist, educator, and musician from Cleveland; Baba Oludaré Bernard, a renaissance artist from Brooklyn; and C. Anthony Bryant, a vocalist, instructor, composer, choral conductor, and coach.
All these QPL activities are free.
A storyteller talks about storytellers when the Louis Armstrong House Museum hosts Book Talk: Griot V on Feb. 20 at 3 pm.
Jeremy Pelt, a trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, is also an author. He’ll discuss his book about Griots, who are traveling poets, musicians, and racontours who have carried on the oral history tradition in West Africa for centuries. Pelt relates Griots to Jazz musicians in the United States, offering a unique perspective on the genre and its cultural significance.
Admission is free with reservations, and the Louis Armstrong Center Jazz Room is at 34-56 107th St. in Corona.
Bonus
Queens Museum presents Family Day: Celebrating Black Excellence on Feb. 15 at 1 pm. This is an afternoon of art-making workshops, story time, movies, and family fun celebrating Black artists and Black heritage.
QM is inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park. It’s free for children under age 12, but adults pay $8 while seniors and students pay $6.
Image: JCAL