Honor Black History Month in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH – Several Pittsburgh attractions and businesses have educational, articulate and celebratory offerings planned for February coinciding with Black History Month.

While these exhibits and enhanced opportunities provide visitors with moments for deeper reflection and appreciation throughout the month, the Pittsburgh region’s Black history and culture can be recognized and celebrated year round. Travelers planning trips to Pittsburgh are encouraged to discover more about Pittsburgh’s Black culture and heritage at VisitPITTSBURGH.com.

• Neighbor to Neighbor, a visual art exhibition featuring the works of six artists, opens at Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty on Feb. 11 and runs through May 27. Presented in collaboration with BOOM Concepts, the exhibit, which brings together a diverse range of visual strategies, considers the impacts and possibilities around active neighboring. The six works, inspired by the Kelly Strayhorn Theater space, the neighborhood, the City of Pittsburgh and more, were originally displayed together as part of the Rotunda public art project curated by BOOM Concepts in collaboration with Bloomfield Garfield Corporation and The Rotunda Collaborative. And, don’t miss R.E.S.P.E.C.T. an Aretha Franklin Tribute Concert, at Kelly Strayhorn Theater on Saturday, Feb. 11. Tickets can be purchased at kelly-strayhorn.org.

• Tickets are still available for the Vanisha Gould concert, scheduled for Feb. 10, at 7 p.m., at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC). Gould, a composer and band leader, will perform originals and music from the Great American Songbook. Gould’s performance is part of the monthly Uhuru Jazz Series at the AWAACC, which pays homage to jazz as the embodiment of freedom, improvisation, discovery, liberation and promise. Visitors to the AWAACC also will want to explore The Hope of Radiance, an exhibit by Dr. Imo Nse Imeh that runs from Feb. 17 - April 2. Additionally, August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape, the first-ever exhibition dedicated to the life and works of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson, is open year-round and free to view.

• American Menu runs at the New Horizon Theater Feb. 3-19. Written by Don Wilson Glenn and directed by Dr. Lundeana M. Thomas, the show, set in May 1968, tells the story of five Black kitchen workers in a segregated lunch counter who are forced to engage in painful self-examination brought about by the senseless death of a young boy. Tickets are still available, featuring senior, student and group rates.

• The Kelly Strayhorn Theater, BOOM Concepts, August Wilson African American Cultural Center and New Horizon Theater are four of the 16 Black-led culture organizations designated in the Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures Initiative. Learn more about these organizations and the initiative before visiting Pittsburgh.

• The African American Program of the Heinz History Center presents the Ninth Annual Black History Month Lecture: “The Black Fives: The Epic Story of Basketball’s Forgotten Era” on Friday, Feb. 17, from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. Led by Claude Johnson, the founder of the Black Fives Foundation, the lecture explores the lesser-known history of Black basketball’s trailblazing teams, players and coaches. Advanced registration is required for this free event. Visitors can explore African American heritage in Western Pennsylvania throughout the year at the Heinz History Center through several long-term exhibits, including: From Slavery to Freedom, an award-winning exhibition that explores more than 250 years of African American history; Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation, which highlights local African American history, including Pittsburgh’s jazz legends such as Mary Lou Williams and Stanley Turrentine; and the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, which showcases Pittsburgh’s unmatched Negro league baseball legacy. Special guided tours of the Sports Museum and through the two exhibitions are offered on Feb. 11 and Feb. 25.

• An important piece of Pittsburgh’s culture is the region’s Black-owned businesses. From restaurants and bars to arts and culture, there are plenty of opportunities for visitors to support these businesses during Black History Month and throughout the year.