A Guide to Black History Month 2025 in Philadelphia

Through Sunday, February 2, 2025

Friendship can form under the unlikeliest of circumstances. Look no further than the Pulitzer Prize-winning play-turned-Oscar-Award-winning film, Driving Miss Daisy. When you first meet Daisy, an aging Jewish widow, and Hoke, her African American chauffeur, they are nothing more than a driver and a passenger living and working in 1940s Atlanta. But over the course of 30 years, a lot of things (hearts, minds, the times) change — for the better.

Through Sunday, February 9, 2025

Following a successful showing at London’s National Portrait Gallery, The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure ends its run at the Philadelphia Museum of Art this month. The exhibit — which takes its name from James Baldwin’s 1963 essay on desegregation — features 28 contemporary Black and African artists, including Amy Sherald (you may know her mural at 11th and Sansom streets), Michael Armitage and Claudette Johnson. The collection, curated by trailblazing journalist Ekow Eshun, celebrates Black contemporary life in all its nuance, richness and beauty through painting, drawing and sculpture.

Through Sunday, March 2, 2025

Curated over two years in collaboration with CCH Pounder-Koné — the award-winning actress known for The X-Files, ER and NCIS: New Orleans — the new Shared Vision: Portraits from the CCH Pounder-Koné Collection exhibition at the African American Museum in Philadelphia highlights contemporary art spanning the African diaspora. The exhibition — composed of 40 works of art in multiple media including pieces by both world-renowned (like Bisa Butler and Samella Lewis) and emerging artists (including Luke Agada and Alex Peter Idoko) — explores identity, presence, beauty, autonomy and power.

Through mid-March, 2025

The Hyatt Centric Center City kicks off Black History Month with its second annual Black History Month Showcase. The multimedia exhibition features art by five Philly-based Black artists — Shakira Hunt, Yannick Lowery, Emilio Maldonado, Jordan Plain and Shawn Theodore — and works range from photography and sculptures to paintings and illustrations.

The ’90s were a golden age for Black film and TV. Current-day household names (like Laurence Fishburne, Taye Diggs and Lynne Whitfield) graced our screens for the first time, and iconic lines like “Bye Felicia” entered the everyday vernacular. Join the Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) for a week-long celebration of classic Black cinema. The lineup of beloved film screenings includes comedies, crime dramas, romances and more, like Menace II Society, Love Jones and House Party. You can buy individual tickets for each screening or save by purchasing a four-film ticket bundle.

Philadelphia’s premier children’s museum marks February with Black History-inspired programming all month long. On the docket: Meet the Dolls playtime featuring Stepstiches dolls, storytimes, a Black History Walk visual exhibit and a few special events including:

• Black History Month Celebration: The fun commences with a special kick-off celebration at the museum. The day’s activities include immersive experiences spotlighting Black changemakers; a storytime with author Farai Simoyi featuring her book Dazzling Zelda; science workshops with scientist, STEM educator and entrepreneur Nafees Norris; and performances by Living Arts Dance Studio (February 1, 2025).
• First Wednesday Programming: Enjoy $2 admission between 4 and 7 p.m. and special programming including a dance performance by Le Phoenix Dance Institute and the Hue You Are hands-on art-making experience (February 5, 2025, 4 to 7 p.m. only).

Kick off Black History Month with a celebration of Black authors, Black books and Black stories at the 33rd annual African American Children’s Book Fair. The annual literary showcase — one of the oldest and largest events of its kind in the nation — highlights the diversity within literature written for preschool-aged readers through young adults. The free event traditionally features nationally recognized authors and illustrators (2024’s guests included comic book illustrator and author Shawn Martinbrough and celebrated writer and artist Vashti Harrison), book vendors, and literacy activities that promote the power and joy of reading.

Old City’s Museum of the American Revolution highlights the experiences of Black men and women living in Revolutionary-era America with guided tours, theatrical performances, crafts, pop-up talks and more:

• First-Person Theatrical Performance: Meet Elizabeth Freeman: After watching America begin its fight for freedom, Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, an enslaved woman living in Massachusetts, bravely sued for her own — and won. Actress Katelyn E. Appiah-Kubi brings the revolutionary woman’s court case — which formed an important precedent for subsequent “freedom cases” — to life in this live, scripted theatrical performance (February 1 & 16, 2025).
• Meet the Revolution: Leslie Bramlett: Hundreds of enslaved Americans owned by the country’s first First Family had front-row seats to the nation’s founding. Costumed living historian Leslie Bramlett embodies two of those women’s stories, portraying Hannah Archer Till, George Washington’s cook while he was encamped at Valley Forge National Historical Park, and Ona Judge, Martha Washington’s personal servant during her husband’s presidential terms (February 9, 16 & 23, 2025).
• Gallery Highlights Tour: Black Voices of the Revolution: A museum educator guides you on a tour of the museum’s core exhibit galleries, paying special attention to stories and artifacts connected to colonial men and women of African descent, including Phillis Wheatley, Elizabeth Freeman and Harry Washington. Tickets are required and include general admission into the museum (Saturdays & Sundays).
• Revolution Place Discovery Center: Specifically developed with the littlest museum-goers (ages 5 through 12) in mind, the museum’s immersive discovery center, Revolution Place, features special Black History Month-themed activities, including a make-your-own-cap craft inspired by those worn by the Rhode Island Regiment, a primarily Black and Indigenous troop of Revolutionary soldiers (Saturdays & Sundays).

Throughout February, the National Constitution Center features daily crafts, trivia, scavenger hunts, special shows and artifact talks featuring some of the many African Americans that changed the course of history. General admission tickets are required

February 1-28, 2025 (Saturdays & Sundays)

Get a special look at the historic Betsy Ross House during these weekend Black History Month events. On Saturdays, costumed actors share amazing stories about prominent members of colonial Philadelphia’s free Black community. On Sundays, professional storytellers highlight lesser-known parts of Philly’s Black history. Black History Month events are free to attend

Dates vary by event

The Free Library of Philadelphia celebrates Black History Month with free events at libraries throughout the city all month long — no library card needed. Included among the Free Library’s dozens of Black History Month talks, food programs, film screenings, workshops and more:

• Film Screening: Summer of Soul (2022) at Parkway Central Library: Produced by legendary member of The Roots crew Amir “Questlove” Thompson, the Grammy Award-winning documentary Summer of Soul highlights Black culture, Black music and, specifically, the Harlem Cultural Festival. Often overshadowed by the other iconic music festival that took place during the summer of 1969, this star-studded concert featured performances by some of music’s biggest names at the time, including Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson and Nina Simone (February 4, 2025).
• Black History Month Scavenger Hunt at Queen Memorial Library: Sleuths-in-training between the ages of 4 and 12 explore the library, learning about Black historical figures and library resources. The scavenger hunt is available all day, and young people who complete the hunt leave with a special treat (February 10, 2025).
• Vinegars, Rock Sugar & the Legacy of Ms. Emma Dupree at various locations: Yam Vallis, an Afro-Indigenous, fifth-generation community healer and clinical herbalist, leads this workshop celebrating the life and work of Black folk herbalist Emma Dupree. Sample herbal vinegars inspired by the renowned healer and create your own infused vinegar (February 10 & 11, 2025).
• Black History Month: African Drum Circle with Mister Boom Boom! at Parkway Central Library: Learn the art of West African hand drumming with the help of children’s music educator and multi-instrumentalist Mister Boom Boom. After you’ve mastered your newfound talents, show off your skills during a dance and drum circle (February 12, 2025).
• Hip Hop Fundamentals Teen Workshop at Parkway Central Library: Learn the basics of breaking and creating captivating choreography during this hands-on workshop for dancers between the ages of 12 and 18 (February 26, 2025).

Smith Memorial Playground honors the contributions of African American Philadelphians positively impacting our city with this month-long exhibit. Each year, the outdoor exhibition inspires kids and grown-ups alike by showcasing entrepreneurs, politicians, entertainers, athletes, artists and more. This year’s honorees include iconic radio personality Patty Jackson, actor-writer-television producer extraordinaire Quinta Brunson, entrepreneurs and owners of Two Locals Brewing Company Richard and Mengistu Koilor, and boundary-breaking baseball and softball player Mo’ne Davis.

Based on the true events surrounding the violent Crown Heights Riots of 1991 and the real-life accounts of 50 New Yorkers who survived the chaos, this one-person play, written by acclaimed performer Anna Deveare Smith, sifts through the battling narratives and takes a clear-eyed view of race and division in America. On Friday, February 21, 2025, the production celebrates Black Theatre Night with light refreshments at a pre-show social mixer and an optional post-show conversation with director Amy Kaissar, actress Phyllis Johnson and an Africology and African American Studies scholar.

One of the largest history libraries in the nation, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania is home to the Pennsylvania Abolition Society’s (PAS) historical documents, or “Papers,” which date back to the organization’s founding in 1775. This collaboration with the 1838 Black Metropolis commemorates the 250th anniversary of PAS and shines a fresh, scholarly light on the abolitionist movement. Using writings and documents from the collection, the exhibit challenges previous understandings of the abolition movement, repositioning the American anti-slavery effort as a global political movement led by Black people for Black liberation and championed by the PAS.

Chef Nana Araba Wilmot brings her West African-focused dinner series, Love That I Knead, to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Taking over the museum’s signature restaurant, Stir, for the evening, the acclaimed chef — who has been featured by the likes of Bon Appétit and The New York Times and seen on the Food Network’s Chopped — serves a delicious three-course dinner inspired by the foodways of the African Diaspora and her Ghanaian heritage. Tickets are required and include museum admission.

This 90-minute trolley tour gives guests a behind-the-palette look at a few of Philly’s beautiful, social justice-inspired murals. As you go from stop to stop, a professional Mural Arts tour guide shares the story of the boundary-breaking subject or historical moment enshrined on the wall in front of you, as well as information about the artist and the mural-making process. In the past, highlighted murals have included the Cecil B. Moore Philadelphia Freedom Fighters mural and the Staircases and Mountaintops: Ascending Beyond The Dream mural depicting Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Space is limited for this tour, and tickets must be purchased in advance.

February 14-28, 2025 (Fridays only)

On Fridays, we listen to jazz. This February, Chestnut Hill’s salon-style art museum pays tribute to a few of the groundbreaking Black musicians who set the foundation for today’s jazz, R&B and soul. Don’t miss performances featuring the music of jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson (February 14, 2025), soul singer Barry White (February 21, 2025) and legendary Philadelphia International Records group the O’Jays (February 28, 2025).

Interdisciplinary artist and scholar Thomas Allen Harris documents life through the lens of a Black LGBTQ+ artist. The filmmaker’s digital archive from the ’80s and ʼ90s embodies themes of identity and self-actualization, community and family, as seen through this screening of two intensely personal documentaries, Vintage: Families of Value and Family Pictures USA, at the Scribe Video Center in West Philly.

Held annually since 1997 in honor of the influential Puerto Rican scholar and community builder of the same name, the Arturo A. Schomburg Symposium at Taller Puertorriqueño brings together scholars, professionals, activists, artists and community members to explore Latin America’s complex relationship with the African diaspora, as well as Afro-Latinx and Afro-Caribbean identity. This year’s event is held in conversation with the 4th International Cumbre Afrodescendiente at the University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras) and doubles down on Schomburg’s legacy, celebrating his vision, commitment to research and activism, and impact on academic study through formal presentations, Q&A panels and more.

Pay your respects to some of the Black trailblazers and pioneers laying at rest in Laurel Hill Cemetery – West after brave, boundary-breaking lives. This guided walking tour makes its way through the beautiful cemetery’s grounds, stopping at the final resting places of influential musicians, entertainers, activists, politicians and athletes. In previous years, tour subjects have included Dennie Hoggard, Jr., the first Black football player to play in the Cotton Bowl; singer Teddy Pendergrass; and civil rights leaders Raymond and Sadie T. M. Alexander.

Recently released from prison after serving a seven-year sentence, King returns home, committed to rebuilding his life and starting a family. But he is a Black man in an impoverished neighborhood in Reagan-era Pittsburgh, and the odds are stacked against him. Despite his ambition, Hedly struggles to succeed, finding himself “planting seeds where nothing can grow.” Don’t miss Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning playwright August Wilson’s play, King Hedly II, when it’s staged at Old City’s Arden Theatre under the direction of fellow Pulitzer Prize-winner James Ijames.

Through the lens of modern American dance and the African American cultural experience, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s revolutionary show celebrates artistry and the human spirit. This multi-part program includes Revelations, a renowned performance honoring Black cultural heritage and set to spirituals, song sermons, gospel and holy blues — plus signature classics and newer works from esteemed choreographers.

Ongoing (select dates) 

Experience the sights, monuments and stories that make up Philly’s Black history during The Black Journey guided tours. The group’s signature program, The Original Black History tour, guides guests past iconic Old City landmarks, highlights early Philadelphia’s most transformative events and tells the often untold accounts of some of America’s most prominent Black figures. The guided tours run up to two hours and tickets are required.

As the nation’s birthplace, Philadelphia is home to the founding church of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination (Mother Bethel AME), the country’s first major museum devoted to African American history (the African American Museum in Philadelphia) and more. Explore our guide to the Philadelphia museums, landmarks, churches and other sites that tell of the successes, struggles and contributions of African Americans through the centuries.

Find a new favorite spot during Black History Month while supporting Philadelphia’s Black-owned businesses. Browse shops like Blue Sole Shoes and Black Ivy Thrift; get pampered with treatments and products from Dope Botanicals; and dig in to delicious dishes from places like Amina, Down North Pizza and other Black-owned restaurants.

Freedom was the goal for the thousands of enslaved Africans on the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses, churches and farms that offered shelter and safety. Discover Philly’s most notable sites and learn about Philadelphians who bravely worked to keep the route running in our comprehensive guide to the Underground Railroad in the Greater Philadelphia.