Where to celebrate Black History Month in Philly

Black Philadelphians have been making history in the city for hundreds of years.

From creating the first African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church in the country to being home to multiple stops on the Underground Railroad and founding America’s first independent Black organization in the Free African Society which helped establish leadership, community and political identity in the city in the late 1700s and beyond.

These accomplishments underscore the contributions that continue today, enriching Philadelphia’s culture and historical impact, through Philly greats like physician Ala Stanford, co-founder of the Black Doctor’s COVID-19 Consortium, to Emmy award-winning writer and actress, Quinta Brunson.

For Black History Month in 2024, there is a full month’s worth of events to learn more about and celebrate the accomplishments of Black Philadelphians, from free live performances to ticketed celebrations. Check them out below.

Note: This list will be updated throughout the month.

The 90-minute walking tour, curated by the University of Pennsylvania’s associate professor of social work and Du Bois scholar, Amy Hillier, starts and ends at Mother Bethel, the world’s first African Methodist Episcopal Church at Sixth and Lombard. The 12 stops include poet Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s home at 10th and Bainbridge and the site of civil rights leader Octavius Catto’s murder at Eighth and South. Guided tours are free every Saturday morning through Feb. 24.

📅 Through Feb. 24 💵 Free📍 Mother Bethel Fellowship Hall, 419 S 6th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 🌐 7thwardtribute.com/walking-tours

Immerse yourself in the literary works of Black writers and creatives from Philadelphia and around the world at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Every week there are author-speaking events, educational workshops, cooking programs, and more at libraries all across the city. Free except for one author event which ranges from $17.50 to $42 (comes with book) per ticket.

📅 All of February 💵 Free📍 Various locations 🌐 libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/black-history-month

Join the Spot Teen Center for Success, a teen safe haven and development center in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey for weekly discussions and movie nights (soon the be announced) in February that celebrate Black culture and discuss the impact it continues to have on the world today. There are other events all month long too to meet up with other friends at Guys Chat or Girl Chat hours.

📅 Weekly events in February 💵 Free 📍 3111 NJ Rt-38 Unit #18, Mount Laurel Township, NJ 🌐 thespottsdc.com/events

Every Saturday and Sunday, The Black Journey Philadelphia hosts walking tours to take you back to historical periods in Black History in Philadelphia. On Saturdays at 2 p.m., there is a two-hour historical walking tour at the Independence Mall where you’ll explore Black history as you learn about Martha Washington’s enslaved handmaiden who emancipated herself, the formerly known Congo Square (now Washington Square), and walk in the footsteps of abolitionists, founding fathers and prominent African Americans. Then on Sundays at 2 p.m., meet in front of one of America’s most historic Black churches, Mother Bethel AME. Learn about Philadelphia’s rich history of the Seventh Ward, a bustling district that was home to the largest Black population in Philadelphia in the early 1900s. There will be a Saturday tour every weekend, but only one Sunday tour on Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. Reserve your spot early.

📅 Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. 💵 $20-$35📍 599 Market St., 419 S. 6th St. 🌐 blackjourneyphiladelphia.com

The museum celebrates Black History Month with programming following the theme of “African Americans and the Arts.” The calendar is full of events from. Feb. 1 to 29. There’s a lecture with scholar Hasan Kwame Jefferies on Black activism through art, a creative writing workshop, and a youth costume party.

📅 Feb. 1 to 29, 💵 up to $14,📍 701 Arch Street Philadelphia, Pa. 19106, 🌐 aampmuseum.org

This year the Rosenbach is opening its exhibition on the Harlem Renaissance to everyone for $25. Half-off for Rosenbach members and free for all members of the Delancey Society. Spend an evening learning from letters, artifacts, and first-edition writings from American writers like Alain LeRoy Locke and Langston Hughes and be guided through the history of the Harlem Renaissance’s most influential authors. Space is limited, so registration is recommended.

📅 Feb. 4 from 2-3 p.m. 💵 Free to $25 📍2008-2010 Delancey St. 🌐 rosenbach.org

For two Saturdays in February the Free Library of Philadelphia will be hosting cooking classes that explore the ingredients and flavors of traditional African and African American cuisine. Learn a new recipe and discover the flavors of Africa to the diaspora at Parkway Central Library’s Culinary Literacy Center.

📅 Feb. 10 and 17 from 12:30-2 p.m. 💵 Free📍 1901 Vine St. 🌐 eventbrite.com

Walk through 50 years of hip hop for Black History Month at the Liberty Museum. There will be activities for all ages, including a hip hop dance and zine workshops, with the exhibition “Amplified: Art, Music, Power.”

📅 Feb. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 💵 $12, free for museum members,📍321 Chestnut StreetPhiladelphia, Pa, 19106, 🌐 libertymuseum.org

The skincare store in Rittenhouse will partner with Black-owned businesses for Black History Month. Find candle fragrances from Mount Airy Candle Co. on Feb. 17, aromatherapy malleable doughs called AroDough from A Little Mental on Feb. 24, and graphic T-shirts from Stoop + Stank on March 2.

📅 Feb. 17, Feb. 24, and March 2, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 💵 prices vary, 📍1735 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, 🌐 heydayskincare.com

Join the New Jersey Youth Symphony at the Union County Performing Arts Center for a concert led by artistic director Helen H. Cha-Pyo for a Black History Month performance of works by Duke Ellington and William Grant Still, featuring a world premiere performance of Microvids for piano and orchestra by Stefania de Kenessey with guest Donna Weng Friedman.

📅 Feb. 25 at 3 p.m., 💵 $20 for Adults, $15 for students & seniors,📍 1601 Irving St., Rahway, NJ 07065, 🌐 whartonarts.org