A guide to Black History Month events in (and near) Cincinnati

Luann Gibbs
Cincinnati Enquirer

Tuesday, Feb. 7

Lunch and Learn: Nancy Green: Being Aunt Jemima, the Pancake Queen, noon, Erlanger Branch Library, 401 Kenton Lands. Debra Faulk portrays Nancy Green, who became one of the first prosperous African American women in the United States. Registration is full. Join waitlist: kentonlibrary.org.

A lunch and learn, "Nancy Green: Being Aunt Jemima, the Pancake Queen" takes place at the Erlanger Branch Library on Feb. 7. Pictured is one rendition of Nancy Green's portrait as Aunt Jemima. Quaker Oats bought the brand in 1926.

Thursday, Feb. 9

Celebrating Black STEAM, 4 p.m., Westwood Branch Library, 3345 Epworth Ave. Ages 8-12 can learn about prominent Black scientists and artists while making silhouette art. Free, registration required. chpl.org.

Black History Month Series: Faces and Places Photograph Scanning Bee, 4-6 p.m., Covington Branch Library, 502 Scott Blvd. Bring in photographs of the Covington Eastside community, Lincoln-Grant High School students and teachers, and African American families in the community to be scanned into library database. Free. kentonlibrary.org.

Saturday, Feb. 11

Gallery Chat: Black Art History, 2 p.m., Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. Learn about Black art history and culture with this guided tour, which explores works by artists including Kehinde Wiley and Henry Ossawa Tanner. Free. Cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

Learn about Black art history and culture at the Cincinnati Art Museum on Feb. 11. Black Art History will explore works by artists including Kehinde Wiley (pictured) and Henry Ossawa Tanner.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Youth-Led Roundtable, 3-5 p.m., Walnut Hills Branch Library, 2533 Kemper Lane. Free. Freedomcenter.org.

Black History Program: Honored Ancestors of Fifth Christian Church, 2-4 p.m., Fifth Christian Church, 3203 Wold Ave., Evanston. Learn about the origins and activities of this church, which dates back to 1870. Free. facebook.com.

Monday, Feb. 13

Black History Bingo, 3:30-5:30 p.m., College Hill Branch Library, 1400 W. North Bend Road. Ages 12-17 can play game and learn about Black visionaries, leaders and artists. Prizes. Free. Chpl.org.

Afterschool Antics: Black History Month Trivia Relay Race, 4 p.m., Miami Township Branch Library, 8 N. Miami Ave. Ages 5-up can play Black history trivia and win prizes. Free. chpl.org.

Tuesday, Feb. 14

Roots, 4 p.m., College Hill Branch Library, 1400 W. North Bend Road. Professor Ernie teaches kids about Black heroes that made history as spies, astronauts, inventors, dancers and more. Free. Chpl.org.

NASA astronauts Ronald McNair, Guion Bluford and Fred Gregory may be among the Black heroes discussed in Roots at the College Hill Branch Library on Feb. 14.

Homespun: VIP in Black History, 1:30 p.m., Erlanger Branch Library, 401 Kenton Lands. Program for homeschooling families allows children to learn about the important figures in Black history while exploring different stations. Grades K-4. Free. kentonlibrary.org.

Homeschool Teens: African American Art with the Cincinnati Art Museum, 1:30 p.m., Erlanger Branch Library, 401 Kenton Lands. The Cincinnati Art Museum hosts presentation on paintings, sculpture, prints and photographs created by African American artists. Ages 11-18. Free, but registration required. kentonlibrary.org.

Book Launch, all day, The Tome Bookstore, 2123 Beechmont Ave., Mount Washington. African American bestselling author and bookstore owner J.M. Clark's "Three Rings," a psychological thriller about a deadly killer, is released. Celebrate with refreshments, books, gift cards and other prizes to mark it's release. tomebookstore.com.

Thursday, Feb. 16

Black History Month Series: African American Genealogy Research Assistance, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Covington Branch Library, 502 Scott Blvd. Sign up for a free, one-hour one-on-one session with a member of the Local History and Genealogy Department. Free, registration required. kentonlibrary.org.

Whiskey Business featuring Black Owned Bourbon, 5-7 p.m., Fueled Collective, 3825 Edwards Road, Norwood. Learn about Black-owned bourbons. $10, free for members. On sale Feb. 6. eventbrite.com.

Friday, Feb. 17

“Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way, Downtown. Cincinnati Black Theatre Company premieres this play, which imagines a meeting between Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey in 1947. $20. Cincinnatiblacktheatre.org.

Saturday, Feb. 18

Black History Month Dinner & Program, 5 p .m., Christian Life Fellowship, 271 Morris Ave., New Miami. Enjoy soul food dinner and program of music, history, skits and guest speaker Pastor Shaquila Matthews. Free, but reservations required. eventbrite.com.

Sunday, Feb. 19

Fifth Third Community Days, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way, Downtown. Free admission. Freedomcenter.org.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center has a number of events throughout February in honor of Black History Month.

Galveston & John Rufus Gibson: A Story About Freedom and Opportunity, 2 p.m., National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way, Downtown. Free. Freedomcenter.org.

Monday, Feb. 20

Bi-Okoto Drum & Dance Performance: Rhythms of Our Land, 2 p.m., Kenton County Public Library, 401 Kenton Lands Road, Erlanger. Interactive journey from the USA to West Africa. Program showcases excerpts from various tribes from Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea and Senegal using authentic costumes, props and instruments. Free. kentonlibrary.org.

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Black History Month Uncle Nearest Whiskey Tasting, 6-8 p.m., On the Rhine Eatery, 100 E. Court St., Downtown. Celebrate Black History Month with a tasting and food pairing of three Uncle Nearest whiskeys. A portion of proceeds are donated to historically Black colleges or universities. $36. eventbrite.com.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Talk: Interaction between Escaped Slaves and Antislavery Reformers during the Civil War, 3:30, Thomas More University Library Rm.  316, 333 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills. Free. jernst@thomasmore.edu.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Art and Social Justice: An Interactive Experience, 5:30-8 p.m., 21C Hotel & Museum, Main Gallery & Gallery 1, 609 Walnut St., Downtown. Non-profit art collective Black Art Speaks hosts evening of conversation, live art and book signing. Light refreshments. Moderated by Yvette Simpson, panelists include Scotty Johnson, Chanda Monroe-Williams, Renee Mahaffery-Harris, Michael Coppage and Annie Ruth. Community art engagement led by Soul Palette. Free. Register: eventbrite.com.

Friday, Feb. 24

Lunch & Learn: Black Art Speaks in Cincinnati, noon, Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown. Join local artist, educator and founder of Most OutGROWing, Adoria Maxberry in this discussion of the Queen City's culture. Includes box lunch. $15, $10 members. Registration required. Museum admission sold separately. taftmuseum.org.

Saturday, Feb. 25

“Almos’ a Man,” 10 a.m., Walnut Hills Branch Library, 2533 Kemper Lane; and via Zoom. Story centers on a young Black farm worker who is struggling to declare his identity in the atmosphere of the rural South. Discussion follows. Free, reservations required. 513-751-0651; stowehousecincy.org.

Listen & Learn, noon-1 p.m., Avondale Branch Library, 3566 Reading Road. Panel discussion about the neighborhood’s Black history, with vice mayor Jan-Michelle Lemon Kearney, Sandra Jones Mitchell and Andria Carter. Free, registration required. Chpl.org.

Archival Scanning Session for African American Family History, 2-4 p.m., Avondale Branch Library, 3566 Reading Road. Urbanist Media and the library’s genealogy and local history department ask Avondale residents to share family photographs and documents for a documentary about the devastating impacts of I-71 on Avondale and Evanston, and I-74 on South Cumminsville. Free, registration required. Chpl.org.

Award-winning poet, author and performer Annie Ruth holds a reading and workshop in Silverton as part of Black History Month.

The Pen Stroke is My Voice: A Reading & Workshop with Annie Ruth, 10 a.m., Women Writing for (a) Change, 6906 Plainfield Road, Silverton. In celebration of Black History Month, award-winning poet, author and performer Annie Ruth reads from her collection of poetry and leads participants in a writing workshop. $25. womenwriting.org.

Voices of Freedom: When Liberation Comes, 6-8 p.m., Kennedy Heights Art Center, Lindner Gallery, 6620 Montgomery Road, Kennedy Heights. In conjunction with Juneteenth Cincinnati, this art exhibition features new works by 10 local Black artists. Featured artists include: Nytaya Babbitt, Brent Billingsley, James Brown, Cierra Fogle, Brandon Hawkins, Javarri Lewis, Josie Love Roebuck, Rashad Manuel Jr, Adoria Maxberry, and Annie Ruth. Includes live music and refreshments. Free. 513-631-4278; kennedyarts.org.

Monday, Feb. 27

The Underground Railroad: Its History, People & Glory, 4 p.m., Anderson Branch Library, 7450 State Road. Free. Chpl.org.

Live the Dream: Black History Month Presentation, 6:30 p.m., MidPointe Library, 9363 Centre Pointe Drive, West Chester Township. Presentation about former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Ben Carson. Free. midpointlibrary.org.

Saturday, March 4

Voices of Freedom: Black History Mosaic, 7:30 p.m., Kennedy Heights Art Center, Lindner Annex, 6620 Montgomery Road, Kennedy Heights. Dayton Contemporary Dance Company performs works that intersect Black history past, present and future and opens the door to dancing the African diaspora. Free, tickets required. 513-631-4278; kennedyarts.org.