LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Every February, Americans celebrate Black History Month. This dates back to 1915 when historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. The Library of Congress states that organization hosted the first "Negro History Week" in February 1926 and the dates were selected due to Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass' birthdays.
In 1986, Congress passed a joint resolution declaring February National Black History Month and presidents have issued annual proclamations for National Black History Month every year since 1996.
Here in the valley, cities and organizations are celebrating with special events, which we've taken a closer look at here.
Henderson - Water Street Plaza Amphitheater
City officials are hosting a free Gospel Fest event on Feb. 3. The event will feature performances by Charles Jenkins, Chrystal Rucker, and Chazn as well as local pastors, community leaders and gospel groups. Seating in the amphitheater and overflow seating will be located in the plaza's lower bowl with a simulcast of the concert on the plaza's digital screen. Guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs or blankets.
On Feb. 18, the city will host Street Corner Renaissance - Live In Concert! The group, famous for their appearance on NBC's The Sing Off, will perform at the Water Street Plaza Amphitheater at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. You can learn more here.
You can also stop by the amphitheater on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. to see storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston and violinist Diane Monroe as they celebrate African and African American culture. The show is free and open to the public.
Las Vegas - Las Vegas City Hall
City officials will host the 10th Annual African American Trailblazer Service Awards on Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Las Vegas City Hall Council Chambers. This year's award winners include Melvin Green, Tameka Henry, Q'shaundra James, Vogue M. Robinson, and Rev. Naida M. Parson. You can read more about them here. Councilman Cedric Crear will also announce the 2024 Historic Westside Legacy Park honorees during the ceremony.
The City Hall Chamber Gallery will also host a special art exhibition called "A Collection of the Inspirational Black Experience" from Jan. 29 through April 25. The free exhibit will be open on Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It will be closed on weekends and holidays. Featured artists include Lucky Wenzel, Mike Kelley, Drae, Q'shaundra James, Grady Williams III, LaRon Emcee, Harold Bardford, Gail Brito Watson, Brent Holmes, Joseph Watson, Vezun, Lolita Develay, and Dana Satterwhite. You can also meet the artists during a special reception on Feb. 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Las Vegas - Lorenzi Park
According to the City of Las Vegas, they will host a Night of Expressions Youth Talent Showcase at the Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza in Lorenzi Park on Feb. 3. Young adult performers will be singing, dancing, acting, playing music and performing spoken word compositions in honor of Black History Month. The event starts at 2 p.m.
Las Vegas - Doolittle Community Center
The Doolittle Community Center will host a Good Time Catfish Fry on Feb. 8. That's at 11 a.m. and it costs $10 per person. You can purchase tickets in advance at the community center, which is located at 1950 North J Street or by calling 702-229-6125.
On Feb. 22, the city officials will host a Mid-Day Inspirational Showcase & Luncheon. The luncheon will be at the Doolittle Community Center and is $10 per person. You can purchase tickets in advance at the center or online here. The luncheon will start directly after the showcase, which will be at the West Las Vegas Library Theater and is free and open to the public. It will feature singing, dancing, poetry, and guest speakers and starts at 11 a.m.
Las Vegas - West Las Vegas Library Theater
Black Weekend 2024 is scheduled for Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 at the West Las Vegas Library Theater, which is located at 951 West Lake Mead Boulevard. The 11th Annual Kemet in the Desert lecture series will feature dancing, music, spoken word, and affirmations in Afro-ritualistic traditions. City officials said Illia "Rashad" Muhammad and Anika Daniels-Osaze, who specialize in African and Egyptian history, culture, and religion, will also make presentations. Those presentations start at 7 p.m. on both nights. The event is free and open to the public.
Las Vegas - West Las Vegas Arts Center
Over at the West Las Vegas Arts Center, you can stop by for Griot Nation's "Suite" 16th Anniversary Celebration on Feb. 16. The group was founded in 2008 by Keith Brantley, Lablaque Williams, Etch Jackson, Baba Shafeeq, and Adrian Pzo Parker. The event is free and open to the public with spoken word performances scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Las Vegas - Doolittle Complex
City officials are hosting the Eighth Annual Generation-2-Generation Old-School Ball Game on Feb. 24. That's at the Kianga Isoke Palacio Park at Doolittle Complex, which is located at 951 West Lake Mead Boulevard. East Palo Alto Pitching youth will be taking on adults in a special softball game. The event is free and open to the public and free refreshments will be served, while supplies last. The event is scheduled to start at noon.
Las Vegas - Natural History Museum
The Las Vegas Natural History Museum will open a new exhibition called "Resilience" on Feb. 1. The exhibition features art and poetry by community members and their families. Folk arts workshops will be hosted by Ghanaian African dance performer Harold Akyeampong with the Nevada Arts Council every Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., starting on Feb. 3. Each workshop will offer a unique experience using non-Western musical instruments and focus on the profound impact of African music on global music styles and how music connects with other academic subjects. The exhibition will run through Feb. 29. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m to 4 p.m and general admission tickets are $14 for adults and $7 for children between three and 11 years old. Discounts are available for Nevada residents.
Las Vegas Strip - The Venetian
The Venetian Resort is celebrating Black History Month by turning their tower signs red, yellow, and green on Feb. 1. That will be from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Las Vegas Strip - Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas Sign
The world-famous sign will shine with red, black, and green lights in honor of Black History Month. Clark County Commissioners. William McCurdy II will host the special sign-lighting ceremony on Feb. 1 with individuals from several organizations, including Valley View Community Cards, Obodo Collective, King of Jewels, AK's Closet, DJ Thump, and Klothes 4 Kids.
Las Vegas Strip - High Roller
On Feb. 1, the High Roller observation wheel behind The LINQ will be lit up in red, yellow, and green for Black History Month. That will be from 4 p.m. to 4:59 p.m. and from 5:31 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Las Vegas - Downtown Summerlin
One Summerlin will be lit up on Feb. 1 to celebrate Black History Month.
Embracing history, celebrating heritage. Tonight, we are celebrating Black History Month with pride and unity as we light One Summerlin Red, Black & Green! ❤️🖤💚 pic.twitter.com/SNX07YBEWy
— Downtown Summerlin (@DTSummerlin) February 1, 2024
Las Vegas - Discovery Children's Museum
There will be several special activities at the museum for Black History Month. For example, the three-light traffic signal was invented by Garrett Morgan in 1923. Guests can use snap circuits to design their own light signaling system. Guests can also discover art and music from the Harlem Renaiisance and make art inspired by Aaron Douglas, learn about forager Alexis Nikole Nelson, create a monster inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat's drawings, and try experiments with air pressure, which is inspired by Lonnie Johnson inventing the Super Soaker. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday to Saturday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
North Las Vegas - City Hall
City officials are hosting a Black Hair Care Product drive to benefit North Las Vegas students. Donations can be dropped off in the City Hall lobby, which is located at 2250 Las Vegas Blvd. North from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. You can also donate online through an Amazon Registry. The drive will run from Feb. 1 through Feb. 29.
The city is hosting a Black History Month Kick-Off Event on Feb. 6 at the North Las Vegas City Hall Steps and Liberty Park on Feb. 6 at 8:30 a.m. The event will include a Black History Month Proclamation, which will be given to an outstanding North Las Vegas resident, singing the Black National Anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing", and a group photo of employees wearing traditional African clothing.
In the City Hall Library, kids can stop by for a Kids Crafting Corner event on Feb. 7. Kids will be able to write wishes on cloud shapes and create an "I Have A Dream" cloud mobile. All materials will be provided. The event is for children between 5 and 12 years old and runs from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Kids can also learn about Anansi, the spider god of Ghana, on Feb. 21 at the City Hall Library. There will be stories and a craft inspired by the character. All materials will be provided for the free event, which is for children between 5 and 12 years old. The event will be from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The Stone Soup Gallery will also host a special Black History Month Art Exhibit from Feb. 13 through March 14. If you see a piece you like, you will also be able to purchase it. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays. The gallery is free and open to the public.
North Las Vegas - Aliante Nature Discovery Park
The park's Storywalk book for the month of February is "Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina by Lea Lyon and Alexandra La Faye". It's based on a true story of an African American girl in the 1950's who was unable to take dance lessons because of the color of her skin. The Storywalk is free and open the public and will run from Feb. 1 through Feb. 29. The park is located at 2627 Nature Park Dr.
North Las Vegas - Aliante Library
Library officials will host a special craft night and visitors can build cityscapes inspired by Romare Bearden and see a mural based on his artwork. To participate in the craft night, stop by the library, located at 2400 W. Deer Springs Way, on Feb. 7 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The mural will be on display throughout the month of February in the Aliante Library Gallery.
North Las Vegas - Alexander Library
Experts from the Family History Center will be stopping by on Feb. 15 to explain the basics of family history research and help you learn more about your ancestors. The event is free and open to people that are at least 16 years old. The event is scheduled to run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The library is located at 1755 W. Alexander Road.
The Alexander Library will also host a Black-Owned Business Fair on Feb. 24, which will be free and open to the public. There will be local vendors, a library open house, food trucks, a DJ, performances, kids activities and community resources. The event is scheduled to run from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
On Feb. 24, the library will also host a City of North Las Vegas "Black Women of Achievement" Panel Discussion. That's from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and speakers include Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown, Sandra Douglass Morgan, the President of the Las Vegas Raiders, and Jacqueline Gravatt, the Chief of Police for the City of North Las Vegas.
If bingo is more up your alley, the library will host Black History Heroes Bingo on Feb. 28 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The event is free and for kids between 5 and 11 years old. Kids can play bingo, learn about important figures, and win prizes.
Luxor - BODIES...The Exhibition
During Black History Month, there will be displays that showcase Black men and women who have contributed to the medical field. That includes Alexa Canady, the first African American woman in the United States to become a neurosurgeon specializing in spine abnormalities and brain and spinal tumors, Charles Modlin, a kidney transplant surgeon and urologist who is one of 17 African American transplant surgeouns in the United States, and Vivien Theodore Thomas, who created surgical techniques that helped improve circulation in patients and his research on Crush syndrome which saved the lives of thousands of soldiers on the battlefields during World War II.
