AUSTIN (KXAN) — February is Black History Month. With everything from visiting a museum to attending a virtual concert — here are ways to celebrate, reflect and honor Black culture around Texas’ capital city.
- Austin Community College is hosting virtual events following the theme “The Future of Black America.” Over the course of the next few weeks the college will lead discussions on topics including identity, education, film and business.
Links for the Zoom events can be found on the ACC website here.
2. The African American Culture Committee will highlight Black creatives with a free film festival at the University of Texas at Austin Main Mall located on 110 Inner Campus Drive. The event is Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. Chairs, blankets, food and drink will be available for attendees.
Want to submit your work? AACC said they are accepting short films, music videos, trailers, web-series and more on this google form until the Feb. 12 deadline.
3. Ange K Band plans to celebrate Black History Month with a socially distanced concert at the Texas Farmers Market at Lakeline Mall. Ange is a full-time musician and resident of Austin. She performs a variety of genres including rhythm and blues and is active in the music ministries of Austin Church and Riverbend Church.
This free event will be on Feb. 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
4. The George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center is hosting a virtual “Black History Month Kids Day+HBCU Day” on Feb. 27. The theme of the event is The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.
The day kicks off at 11 a.m. with live Zoom discussions featuring co-authors of “El’s Mirror,” Ellison and Bavu Blakes. Stick around for presentations and family-friendly activities.
RSVP on Eventbrite here.
5. Join Pflugerville Library for “Virtual Book Buzz: Black History Month” on Thursday, Feb. 25 from 6:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m. The pre-recorded event will premiere fiction, nonfiction and graphic novels by Black authors. The video will be archived on the Pflugerville YouTube page to watch anytime after it airs.
The Virtual Book Buzz is only for those 18 and up and registration is required online here. List your top three genres to be matched with a book while supplies last. Book boxes will be available for curbside pickup from Feb. 18 through Feb. 25.
6. The Austin Chamber Music Center is hosting its 18th annual Black Composers Concert on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Join award-winning pianist Aritha McCain in celebrating the work of living Black composers and the legacy of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
The event will be virtual. Tickets are free or pay-what-you-can and include access to the event through May.
Register for stream and on-demand access here.
7. Austin-based artist Deborah Roberts depicts the challenges and identity struggles of young, Black children through the use of collages. She combines different facial features, skin tones, clothes and hairstyles to create an “expansive and inclusive” view of the Black experience.
Her art can be viewed at The Contemporary Art Austin — Jones Center Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday through August.
More details of the “Deborah Roberts: I’m” exhibit can be found here.
8. The UT Black Cultural Programming Committee invites CNN Political Correspondent Abby Phillip to an online event Monday, Feb. 8 in celebration of Black History Month.
Abby Philip covered the 2020 presidential election, the Affordable Care Act and Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president.
Registration for this event can be found here.
9. The LBJ Presidential Library is leading a series of free virtual programs that feature experts who examine the racial inequity in Austin and offer advice everyone can take to be part of the solution. Sessions continue for the next two weeks on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.
The theme of this Thursday, Feb. 11 conversation is how the next generation fights for racial justice. Next week, on Feb. 18, guests will examine the political influence on systemic change. Previous sessions from the series are available on YouTube here.
You can sign up to register for the events here.
After the virtual event, the Central Texas Collective for Racial Equity will host “Path to Equity: The Aftershow” Tuesdays on Facebook Live. This will be a roundtable conversation and Q&A with reactions and insights from Thursday’s LBJ Presidential Library programing. Registration for “The Aftershow” can be found here.
10. Austin-based musician Bevis M. Griffin is a pioneer for Black glam rock in Texas. The Austin Music Foundation chronicles stories from Griffin’s successful career using autobiographies from his book “Lone Star Maverick” in the series, “28 Days of Bevis.”
Follow along on their blog here.
11. Buda is bringing together councilmen, storytellers, poets, singers and dancers for a celebration called “Lift Ev’ry Voice”. The virtual celebration will be on Feb. 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit the Buda Black History Celebration Facebook page here.
Did we miss an event? Email us at reportit@kxan.com and tell us about the details, so we can add it to this list.
