This year’s theme for Canada’s Black History Month is February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day. All February long, you’ll find virtual and in-person events across Edmonton inviting you to learn, reflect, and celebrate Black achievements in the past, present, and future.
Enjoy an annual tradition and powerful performances at the Annual NBCC Gospel Concert! Photo courtesy of the National Black Coalition of Canada—Edmonton Chapter.
1) Festival Place Black History Month Series | Select dates
All month long, enjoy concerts from talented Black artists at Festival Place! From soul to hip-hop to country, experience a celebration of art and culture with performances by Nuela Charles, D’orjay the Singing Shaman, Tanika Charles, Terrell Edwards, and Arlo Maverick and Politic Live.
2) Tracking Black Canada – Trailblazers Edition | Feb. 1
Combining videos, slam poetry, stand-up comedy, and plenty of audience interaction, Tracking Black Canada is a virtual edu-tainment presentation that takes participants on a journey through the history of early Black communities in Canada.
3) The Mountaintop | Feb. 1–7
Katori Hall’s critically-acclaimed play is brought to life by Shadow Theatre in a gripping, inspiring new production. One night before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is visited in his hotel room by a mysterious stranger, who comes bearing shocking revelations.
4) Black Futures: Creating While Black | Feb. 2
This interdisciplinary panel, featuring Rochelle Ignacio (Black Owned Market), Alain Intwali (Black Owned Market), and Bobby Tyndale (Version Me Media), explores the unique complexities and challenges of being a Black entrepreneur, as well as opportunities and pathways to success.
5) An Evening with Lawrence Hill | Feb. 2
Join the acclaimed author of The Book of Negroes for a virtual discussion of his latest novel, Beatrice and Croc Harry. Hill will discuss identity, censorship, the use of humour to tackle sensitive topics, and much more.
6) Black Futures Market | Feb. 5–6
This two-day market at the Art Gallery of Alberta hosts 15 Blacked-owned vendors, businesses, and services; find artwork, handmade goods, and more! Admission to the market is free.
7) Learning to be Black: Discovering an Identity I Didn’t Know I Had | Feb. 15
Join Edmonton-City Centre MLA David Shepherd for an online presentation exploring Shepherd’s journey of self-discovery as a Black man and a Black politician. This talk is presented by MacEwan University.
8) “I Am Not Your Negro”: James Baldwin, Raoul Peck, and Race in America | Feb. 16
Join MacEwan University for an online screening and discussion of the 2016 documentary by Raoul Peck. “I Am Not Your Negro” delves into the life of American writer James Baldwin and his experiences with the civil rights movement of the 1960s and beyond.
9) Digital Book Club Meet-up: Black History Month | Feb. 24
All month long, get instant access to The Known World by Edward P. Jones, the Pulitzer-winning epic telling a multidimensional, time-hopping tale of the moral and historical complexities of slavery. Then, join Edmonton Public Library on February 24 for a digital book club meeting and discussion.
10) Edmonton Annual Black History Month Gospel Concert | Feb. 26
This annual concert, presented by the National Black Coalition of Canada—Edmonton Chapter, brings together a wide array of talented musicians for an unforgettable evening of music and performance at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.
11) And Still We Rise: A Black Presence in Alberta, late 1800s – 1970s | On Now
This virtual exhibit from Edmonton City as Museum Project (ECAMP) explores the struggles, triumphs, and everyday lives of the citizens of Alberta’s first Black communities, who have often been erased from historical narratives.
