Mark your calendars for these events on campus and in the Atlanta area to commemorate Black History Month 2023.
On Campus
Out of Bounds But at the Center of It All: Althea Gibson in Sports and American History – Feb. 13
February 13
4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Stephen C. Hall Building, Room 102 & Online
The School of History and Sociology welcomes Ashley Brown, assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, in observance of Black History Month. Brown will speak on the topic “Out of Bounds but at the Center of it all: Althea Gibson in Sports and American History” followed by a Q&A session. Anyone in the Georgia Tech community having an interest in the topics of African American history, women’s history, and the history of sport is encouraged to attend.
Black History Month Exhibition – Feb. 20
February 20
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Midtown Room, Exhibition Hall
This event is a collaboration between AASU & SCPC to honor and celebrate historical figures in Black history, including Louis Armstrong, Marsha P. Johnson, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Misty Copeland, and Toni Morrison.
2023 Black History Month Lecture: Zion Clark – Feb. 22
February 22
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Bill Moore Student Success Center, Clary Theatre
As part of the very identity of our organization, AASU celebrates the legacy and achievements of Black people year round. But during Black History Month we expand our celebration and acknowledgment of Blackness in solidarity with those participating in the month all over the world. The Black History Month lecture is the marquee event of AASU’s programming during February.
This year, the speaker we will be inviting is Zion Clark. Zion Clark was born September 29th 1997 in Columbus, Ohio with a rare birth defect called Caudal Regression Syndrome which caused him to be born without legs. Zion didn’t let this stop him from learning new skills, he picked up wrestling and music at a young age which became his outlet from an abusive living situation. Through resiliency and resistance and consistently Zion continued to figure out his way of approaching some of these passions and earned his position as an All-American wrestler, and lead drummer of his church. He continues to defy all odds with his optimistic approach and no excuses mentality he embodies. This event is open to the entire Georgia Tech community as well as the greater Atlanta community. We hope that through this initiative we can bring together all the different communities at Georgia Tech and give them a new perspective on what it means to be Black at Georgia Tech, to be Black in Georgia, and to be Black in America
Meet The IAC Dean: Black Media @ Tech – Feb. 23
February 23
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Bill Moore Student Success Center
Join the Ivan Allen College Dean Kaye Husbands Fealing for a conversation on Black Media at Tech, followed by a networking reception.
Around Atlanta
Rolls Down Like Water: U.S. Civil Rights Movement Archives – all month
All month
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
The U.S. Civil Rights Movement gallery presents the brave fight for equality in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Visitors will be immersed in a visceral experience of sights, sounds, and interactive displays depicting the courageous struggles of individuals working to transform the United States from Jim Crow laws to equal rights for all. The exhibit concludes with a tribute to Dr. King and all martyrs who lost their lives to make the United States a stronger nation. Rolls Down Like Water is curated by Tony Award–winning theatrical playwright and film director George C. Wolfe.
New Black Wall Street Market BHM Celebration – all month
All month
New Black Wall Street Market, Stonecrest
The New Black Wall Street Market is a family-friendly shopping, dining and tour destination. It is inspired by the achievements of the pioneering spirit of O.W. Gurley and the several business partners that contributed to the success of the original ‘Black Wall Street’ in Tulsa Oklahoma. The Black History Month Celebration includes live music, food, shopping, Black art, workshops, and more.
Roswell Roots – events all month
All month
Various locations, Roswell
Roswell Roots is a community-wide, month-long festival that honors our diverse community and celebrates Black History Month. Roswell Roots aims to educate, impact, and promote cultural awareness. Programs and events focus on welcoming all community members and offers an opportunity for all ages to engage and participate.
Deana Lawson Exhibition at the High Museum – thru Feb. 19
Through February 19
High Museum
Featuring work made over the past two decades, this exhibition is the first museum survey dedicated to Deana Lawson. Working primarily in photography, Lawson investigates and challenges conventional representations of Black identities and bodies. Her work evokes a range of photographic histories and styles, including family albums, studio portraiture, and staged tableaux; she also employs documentary pictures and appropriated images.
“Making Black America: Through the Grapevine” Screening & Discussion – Feb. 9
February 9
Fulton County Central Library
Enjoy screenings and discussions of clips from MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE, the four-part PBS series from executive producer, host, and writer Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., that chronicles the vast social networks and organizations created by and for Black people—beyond the reach of the “White gaze.”
We Shall Overcome: African American Stories from Civil War to Civil Rights – Feb. 9, 11, 19
February 9, 11, & 19
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Oakland Cemetery
This 75-minute guided tour explores the lives and accomplishments of outstanding and ordinary African Americans in Atlanta. “We Shall Overcome” became the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, but the origin of the song dates back to antebellum days and a spiritual sung by enslaved people, “No More Auction Block for Me.” This tour explores the lives and accomplishments of outstanding and ordinary African Americans who fought to overcome the effects of slavery and discrimination to help shape the history of Atlanta.
Atlanta Black Expo – Feb. 11
February 11
Cobb Galleria Center, Atlanta
The Atlanta Black Expo features a wide range of Black-owned companies, all under one roof. Come find the services and products that fit into your daily life.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre – Feb. 16-19
February 16-19
Fox Theatre
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brings their unparalleled talent to the Fox Theatre in Atlanta to connect you to the heart of dance. Celebrate the latest season with new works, audience favorites, and beloved classics, including Alvin Ailey’s timeless masterpiece Revelations.
Black History Month Parade – TBA
TBA
Begins at 100 Edgewood Avenue at Hurt Park, Atlanta
“The Largest Celebration of African-American History Month in the Southeast”