Celebrated every February, Black History Month offers opportunities to learn more about the important contributions African Americans have made to the nation’s cultural landscape. These theatrical performances and museum exhibits honor Black History Month.
August Wilson’s Two Trains Running
February 16, 7 p.m.
George Mason University’s Center for the Arts hosts The Acting Company’s rendition of this Tony-winning play by Black playwright August Wilson. The story is set during the Civil Rights Movement and follows a Black diner owner whose business is being threatened by an urban development project. George Mason University’s Center for the Arts: 4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax, $29–$50
The 2025 Virginia Black History Month Gala
February 22, 6 p.m.
This year’s event, hosted by the Virginia Black History Month Association, features keynote speaker Ericka Alexander, a veteran actress, director, producer, and activist. The event also includes an online and onsite Black vendor showcase, and a Black Health Fair and Relationship seminar will be held on February 21. Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel: 2800 S. Potomac Ave., Arlington, $25–$1,800
This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance
Through April 20
Don’t miss the chance to learn about the life and work of Black American writer James Baldwin, author of Giovanni’s Room and If Beale Street Could Talk, who wrote, marched, and made speeches in support of the Civil Rights Movement and was also a LGBTQ+ rights activist. The National Portrait Gallery: Eighth and G streets NW, Washington, DC, free
In Slavery’s Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World
Through June 8
Visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture to see this moving exhibit that “reframes the histories and legacies of slavery, colonialism, and freedom on an international scale.” The project is the result of decades of collaboration between global curators and other contributors and includes 100 objects and 250 images. National Museum of African American History and Culture: 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC, free
Feature Image courtesy Smithsonian
This story originally ran in our February Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
