DALLAS MAVERICKS BLACK HISTORY MONTH ART CONTEST
FREE Texas students in grades eight through 12 can submit their original artwork highlighting the impact of Black leaders past and present. Five winners will have the opportunity to visit Memphis, Tenn., a city rich with Black history, in March and attend the Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzles game. The top artists will also be treated to a luxury suite experience as the Mavs take on the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Feb. 28. The students’ winning artwork will be displayed in the AAC concourse during the game and at the African American Museum at Fair Park in March. See the website for eligibility requirements and other details.
Entries will be accepted through Feb. 16 at 11:59 p.m. It’s free to enter. mavs.com/blackhistory.
‘THE MOUNT EXPERIENCE’
FREE The lobby of AT&T headquarters in downtown Dallas has been transformed into the Piney Woods of East Texas to tell the story of a man’s mission to restore his family’s historic cemetery and uncover connections to his enslaved ancestors. Journalist Rodney Hawkins reported his story on CBS Mornings, then produced an art gallery show about his experience. Now the tale of Hawkins’ restoration of Old Mount Gillion Cemetery is an immersive exhibit featuring the photography of Kwesi Yanful, who chronicled the cemetery’s transformation. Complementary works from Dallas artists T’Ria Hurd and Trevor Donaldson are also included. In conjunction with the exhibition, there will be a Black business owners market at the AT&T Discovery District on Feb. 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; check the website for details.
Continues through Feb. 21 at the AT&T Discovery District, 208 S. Akard St., Dallas. Hours are Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. Free. discoverydistrict.att.com; facebook.com/attdiscoverydistrict.
‘SOLIDARITY NOW! 1968 POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN’
A special exhibition examines one of the most important grassroots movements of the civil rights era, which culminated in a six-week, live-in demonstration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Photographs, oral histories with campaign participants and organizers, and an array of protest signs, political buttons and audio field recordings collected during the protest are included.
Continues through Feb. 26, Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, 411 Elm St., Dallas. The exhibit is included with museum admission: $18 for adults, $16 for seniors 65 and up, $14 for ages 6-18, free for ages 5 and under. jfk.org.
‘CONNECTIONS’ BLACK HISTORY MONTH EXHIBIT
FREE The Irving Black Arts Council’s annual exhibition displays works from five area artists: Frank Frazier, Earline Green, John Johnson, Gerald Leavell and Burl Washington. A reception for the artists will take place on Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. and is open to the public.
Continues through Feb. 25, Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m., at the Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving. Free. irvingartscenter.com.
‘GIRL SCOUTS CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH’
FREE An interactive gallery wall tells the story of Black women and girls who are making a difference in the world and honoring the legacy of those who have gone before. The display includes a special tribute to Opal Lee, the 96-year-old Fort Worth activist who spearheaded the campaign to make Juneteenth a national holiday, and Zara Jones, the Plano teen whose Gold Award project was to give Plano’s long-shuttered African American Museum a new life online.
Continues through Feb. 27 at Galleria Dallas, 13350 Dallas Parkway, Dallas; the exhibit is on Level 1 near Sephora. Free. galleriadallas.com. gsnetx.org.
‘BLACK COWBOYS: AN AMERICAN STORY’
FREE Black men, women and children — enslaved and free — labored on the ranches of Texas and the Western United States and participated in cattle drives before the Civil War through the turn of the 20th century. This exhibition at the African American Museum tells their stories through artifacts, photos, documents and films. Several other exhibits are on view at the museum. They include “Facing the Rising Sun: Freedman’s Cemetery,” a permanent display that contains photographs, found objects and historical documents providing insight into a Dallas community once called Freedman’s Town and now known as Uptown; “The Souls of Black Folk: Selections From the Billy R. Allen Folk Art Collection and the Decorative Arts Collection,” also on display permanently; and “The 27th Carroll Harris Simms National Black Art Competition and Exhibition,” which runs through March 17.
The “Black Cowboys” exhibit continues through April 15, Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the African American Museum, 3536 Grand Ave., in Fair Park, Dallas. aamdallas.org.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH FILM SERIES
FREE A weekly film festival spotlights Black filmmakers, actors and stories. The afternoon series is free to attend, and light refreshments will be provided. The films are Cabin in the Sky (1943) on Feb. 7, Claudine (1974) on Feb. 14, Malcolm X (1992) on Feb. 21 and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) on Feb. 28.
Feb. 7-28, on Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m., at the Martin Luther King Jr. Branch Library, 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas. Free. dallaslibrary2.org.
THE DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS TERENCE BLANCHARD
The music of jazz artist and composer Terence Blanchard comes to the Meyerson for two evening performances. On Feb. 8, assistant conductor Maurice Cohn will lead the DSO in selections from Blanchard’s groundbreaking Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the first opera by a Black composer commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. On Feb. 9, Blanchard returns to his roots for a jazz performance with his band, the E-Collective, and the Turtle Island String Quartet.
Feb. 8-9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St., Dallas. $20-$120. dallassymphony.org.
1619 PROJECT, ONE-ACT FESTIVAL
Nine short plays by local and national playwrights are based on chapters of the bestselling 1619 Project book, which tells the history of slavery in America starting with the August 1619 arrival of the first slave ship in the British colony of Virginia.
Feb. 9-26 at Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 215 S. Tyler St., Dallas. See website for the schedule. $18-$50. bishopartstheatre.org.
POP OF ART: WAKANDA FOREVER
The Dallas Museum of Art and the Pan-African Connection Bookstore and Resource Center are co-presenters of this evening of pop culture and art. Activities include mask-making; an African drum circle; a demonstration of capoeira, the martial arts technique used by Black Panther combining dance, acrobatics and spirituality; and a talk on how African fashion influences the creation of costumes for the Marvel Universe.
Feb. 10 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood St., Dallas. $15. dma.org.
DALLAS BLACK HISTORY BIKE TOUR
Join Bike Friendly South Dallas for a pedaling tour of significant Black history sites in Dallas, including Bonton Farms and the Juanita Craft House. The day will also include entertainment and a vendors’ market.
Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting at the We-Cycle Resource Center, 1616 Al Lipscomb Way, Dallas. The ride requires a $10 donation and registration. facebook.com/bikefriendlysouthdallas.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS TEAM
Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Buffalo Soldiers team uses stories, costumes and fun activities to bring Black history to life at Cedar Hill State Park. All activities are free with park entry.
Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cedar Hill State Park, 1570 West FM1382, Cedar Hill. Park admission is $7 for ages 13 and up, free for ages 12 and younger. tpwd.texas.gov/calendar.
SECOND SUNDAY FUNDAY: CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
FREE February’s edition of the drop-in art program celebrates Black history. Families can roam the Irving Arts Center’s galleries for inspiration, then work together to create art inspired by Black artists past and present. Art supplies are provided.
Feb. 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving. Free. irvingartscenter.com.
‘A NIGHT OF BLACK EXCELLENCE: SONGS OF A NATIVE SON’
The Fort Worth Opera’s annual Black History Month production features music, poetry and dance. The evening’s honoree is Tarrant County Commissioner Roy C. Brooks.
Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. at I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA, 1411 I.M. Terrell Circle S., Fort Worth. $20-$75. fwopera.org/nightofblackexcellence.
AFRICAN STORIES WITH ADA ARI
FREE An interactive story time features Ada Ari, author of The Spider’s Thin Legs. Children will hear the West African folktale, participate in a counting lesson and learn a traditional Ghanaian dance move. There’ll also be coloring and trace-by-number fun.
Feb. 14 from 2 to 3 p.m. at Bookmarks in NorthPark Center, 8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas. Free. northparkcenter.com/events.
BILL PICKETT INVITATIONAL RODEO
The rodeo honors Black cowboy and cowgirl culture with reenactments, history highlights, Western lore and rodeo action.
Feb. 18 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Cowtown Coliseum, 121 E. Exchange, Fort Worth. $15-$55. cowtowncoliseum.com. facebook.com/billpickettrodeo.
DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE: ‘CULTURAL AWARENESS’
LIVE & VIRTUAL DBDT performs the 1951 work Games by Donald McKayle, which depicts city kids at play. Tribute by Matthew Rushing pays homage to decades of legendary “dancestors” who preserved a slice of life with their classic works. DBDT dancer Sean J. Smith’s Swipe Left explores the mindset of a woman desperately seeking love.
Feb. 17-18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora St., Dallas, and online. $35 for in-person tickets, $25 for streaming tickets. attpac.org.
‘BACK TO OUR ROOTS STEP SHOW’
Step teams from across Dallas-Fort Worth perform in a celebration of Black history and culture. Presented by Diligent Execution Steppers.
Feb. 18 from 3 to 7 p.m. at DeSoto High School, 600 Eagle Drive, DeSoto. $5-$20. eventbrite.com.
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY BINGO
FREE Discover facts about local Black history while playing a game of bingo complete with prizes for the winners. The program is geared toward adults.
Feb. 20 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ella Mae Shamblee Library, 1062 Evans Ave., Fort Worth. Free. fortworthtexas.gov.
FESTIVAL OF BLACK DANCE: RHYTHM AND SOUL OF A PEOPLE
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters brings the Atlanta Dance Connection together with the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Dance Ensemble for two evenings of contemporary and modern dance. In addition to the public performances, there will be a students-only show on Feb. 24 ($5 admission) and a Black Dance Master Class ($10 fee) on Feb. 26.
Feb. 24-25 at 8 p.m. at Naomi Bruton Main Stage, 1309 Canton St., Dallas. $10. ticketmaster.com.
A TASTE OF BLACK HISTORY
FREE Guests can experience Black culture through music, dance, poetry, spoken word and tasty bites. Performers include saxophonist Sylvester Jones, the African American dance club from Ranchview High School in Irving, and others. Visitors can also pose in a themed photo booth and shop in the vendor area.
Feb. 25 from noon to 3 p.m. at Cimarron Park Recreation Center, 201 Red River Trail, Irving. Free. cityofirving.org.
TASTE OF SOUL
FREE Local chefs, businesses and home cooks can enter their best dishes in categories such as meat, sides, vegan/vegetarian and desserts. Guests will be able to taste and vote for their favorites. The event also offers live entertainment, raffles and a photo booth.
Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 2922 MLK Jr. Blvd., Dallas. Admission is free, but donations of $2 for adults and $1 for seniors are encouraged. dallasmlkcenter.com.
