Black History Month 2024: This year’s theme is the arts — and South Florida is ready with music, film, dance & other events

South Florida comes together every February to honor the struggles, accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans during Black History Month, which has been celebrated in the United States since 1976.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History chooses a theme every year that communities can draw inspiration from when planning events including festivals, parades, book and film discussions, children’s activities, concerts and exhibits.

This year’s theme: African Americans and the Arts, which puts the spotlight on visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression.

History Fort Lauderdale, a nonprofit dedicated to making the city’s heritage accessible to everyone through educational experiences, cultural exhibits, research and preservation of artifacts, is paying homage to the Black History Month theme.

Twelve Dillard Center for the Arts’ Advanced Placement students are showcased in a fine art exhibit, “Black Art, Black Artists Shaping Tomorrow’s History,” from Feb. 4 to 29 at the New River Inn Museum of History, 231 SW Second Ave. Their photography and studio art in various mediums, curated by Dillard art teacher Celestin Joseph, are “creative reimaginings and reflections of historical Black leaders, community icons and hometown heroes,” according to History Fort Lauderdale.

Patricia Zeiler, executive director of History Fort Lauderdale, said they are proud to be a home for the next generation of artists.

“Each year, History Fort Lauderdale looks forward to sharing the creativity and imagination from Dillard Center for the Arts students,” she said in a statement. “We invite the community to celebrate Black History Month with us and pay homage to our leaders, past and present, through the eyes of these visionary students.”

Fans of the students’ art, which represent their views on Black culture, history and the arts, may also purchase the works.

Below, we’ve rounded up more events honoring Black History Month throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties.

BROWARD COUNTY

Black History Meets Reggae Month Kick Off — Miramar Vice Mayor Alexandra P. Davis will discuss events planned throughout the month during a presentation set for 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 1 at Miramar City Hall Plaza, 2300 Civic Center Place. There will be ticket and merchandise giveaways, music and refreshments, plus an appearance by Grammy-winning artist Kabaka Pyramid. Free. Register at eventbrite.com for this event, and visit miramarfl.gov/bhm for a full lineup of February activities, including the Reggae Icon Awards, Selecta Showdown and the Afro Carib Festival.

“Cole, The Birth of a King” — Pompano Beach Arts will pay tribute to Nat King Cole with a concert from 7:30-9 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd. Headliner Darrell Cole will perform some of the singer’s classics as well as tunes from the Great American Songbook. Buy one ticket for $30 and get one free at eventbrite.com.

“Remembering Our Roots” — Live performances from musical, dance and specialty groups highlight the annual event from 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 3 at Riverland Park, 950 SW 27th Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Remember Our Roots is part of the city’s Black History Month lineup of activities. Free. Visit parks.fortlauderdale.gov.

22nd Annual MLK Old School Music Celebration — Presented by the city of Lauderhill and the MLK Task Force Committee, the concert will feature Tony! Toni! Toné! (featuring D’Wayne Wiggins) and Shirley Murdock, plus special guests Hal Anthony, The Old Skool Gang and Lenora Jaye, from 7:30-11 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, 3800 NW 11th Place. A VIP reception is at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $65 to $130 at showpass.com.

“Black Art, Black Artists Shaping Tomorrow’s History” — Meet the artists from the exhibit during a free reception at 1 p.m. Feb. 4 on the first floor of the New River Inn Museum of History building on History Fort Lauderdale’s campus, 231 SW Second Ave. Works for show and sale are by Dillard Center for the Arts’ Advanced Placement students and instructors, who reimagine and reflect on historical Black leaders, community icons and hometown heroes. Regular admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $7 for students (through age 22 with a valid student ID), and free for members, military and children age 6 and younger. Visit historyfortlauderdale.org.

Soul Fest —The family-friendly event will pay tribute to cultural heritage and foster unity with a children’s activity area, live music and food trucks from 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 9 at Jaco Pastorius Park, 4000 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park. Free admission. Visit oaklandparkfl.gov/590/Soul-Fest.

Black Heritage Banquet — Wear your Sunday best for a “Celebration of the Black Church” by the Deerfield Beach Parks and Recreation Department and the African American Heritage Board at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 100 Fairway Drive, in Deerfield Beach, on Feb. 10. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the event is set for 6:30 to 9 p.m. There will be food, live performances and speakers. Cost is $40. Visit deerfield-beach.com/1337/Black-Heritage-Banquet or call 954-480-4429.

Emancipation Blues —Described as an “American Blues ballet that includes African diasporic, hip hop, modern and jazz movements,” this performance for all ages will journey through the civil rights movement to Black Lives Matter at 3 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Pompano Beach Library & Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd. General admission is $25. Visit our.show/emancipation.

Lunch with Art: The LIVE Music Edition — A free Black History Month-inspired performance featuring Yendi will take place from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd. Attendees can bring lunch, dance and ask questions. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. Register at eventbrite.com.

Jazz Reflections Concert —Presented by the Gold Coast Jazz Society, a free jazz concert in honor of Black History Month will feature vocalist and violinist Nicole Yarling at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd. Free. Register at eventbrite.com.

16th Annual Black Excellence Parade & Festival — Radio personality Chico the Virgo is grand marshal of the parade that starts at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 17 at Boyd H. Anderson High School, 3050 NW 41st St., Lauderdale Lakes. The festival, which includes a market featuring Black-owned vendors, will start at 10:30 a.m. at the city’s Vincent Torres Park, 4331 NW 36th St. Free admission. Visit blackexcellencefest.net.

“Kijiji Moja” — Tribal storytelling, live entertainment, arts and crafts, a bounce house and vendors will be part of the event from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 17 at Lincoln Park, 600 NW 19th Ave., Fort Lauderdale. The event’s name means “one village” in Swahili. Organizers say this is an immersive experience to celebrate cultures and foster unity. Free. Visit parks.fortlauderdale.gov.

Dinner and a Movie in Honor of Black History Month: “Marshall” — Watch the 2017 film starring Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Parkland Library, 6620 University Drive. The movie focuses on one of Marshall’s cases as a lawyer, the State of Connecticut v. Joseph Spell. A Parkland Library card is required to register. Visit cityofparkland.org.

Fort Lauderdale Sistrunk Parade & Festival —The parade steps off at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 24 at Lincoln Park, 600 NW 19th Ave., and heads east on Sistrunk Boulevard to Northwest Ninth Avenue with ROTC, steppers, drill teams and decorated floats. After the parade, the festival will take place until 8 p.m. with bands, a kids’ zone, family activities, food vendors and merchandise along Sistrunk Boulevard, from northwest Ninth to 13th avenues. Free. Visit sistrunkfestival.org.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

“(in)visible: Nepantla” — Thirty original works circa 2013 by Kandy G Lopez, and curated by Tayina Deravile, are on display through March 15 at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, 170 NW Fifth Ave., Delray Beach. Deravile is a first-generation, Haitian-American cultural arts practitioner and arts professional, and Lopez is an Afro-Caribbean artist based in Fort Lauderdale who specializes in collage work using a mix of materials to “create a space for Black women and women of color to be represented,” according to the museum. The show includes mixed media, stained glass, printmaking works on paper, ink on repurposed doors and fiber art pieces. Admission is $10 and free for members. Visit spadymuseum.com.

Black History Month at Mandel Public Library — Film screenings, hair-wrapping lessons, book discussions, paint-alongs, story time and African drumming are part of the lineup this month. Free programs are offered for children, teens and adults at the library, 411 Clematis St., downtown West Palm Beach. Visit wpbcitylibrary.org.

Second Annual Black History Parade & Celebration — The ROOTS Cultural Festival is focusing on the “Sounds of Motown” for the theme of this year’s event, which starts at noon Feb. 3 when the parade steps off on Northwest First Avenue in Delray Beach and travels along West Atlantic to Northwest 10th avenues. The celebration will take place after the parade at Pompey Park, 1101 NW Second St. Free. Visit delraybeachfl.gov.

Black History Month Celebration — The Square, at 700 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach, will have two events on Feb. 3:

• From 10 to 11 a.m., there will be a panel discussion, “Inventing Beauty: The 18th African American Film Festival,” in partnership with the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Terri Francis, author, curator and film scholar, along with Imani Warren, producer and screenwriter, will explore the topics of race, beauty and Black history throughout film on The Lawn. Free general admission, or $20 VIP tickets at eventbrite.com.

• From noon to 5 p.m., take part in a celebrity book reading and workshops led by Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick; Ericka Squire, founder of Natural Movers Foundation; Brian Knowles, creator of Teach+Heal+Build; and Bianca Nightengale-Lee, assistant professor in the department of Curriculum & Instruction at Florida Atlantic University, at Rohi’s Readery, Suite 130. There also will be immersive art, gardening activities and a vendor market highlighting Black-owned businesses. Free.

Second Annual Black History Month Leaders Forum — Meet Black leaders in Palm Beach County to ask questions and build relationships while learning from each other’s experiences and successes from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Wellington Community Center, 12150 Forest Hill Blvd. Light refreshments will be served. Free. RSVP at eventbrite.com.

Documentary Film: “Zora Neale Hurston: Heart with Room for Every Joy” — The life and works of the late author with Florida ties is the subject of this documentary by Films for the Humanities & Sciences that will be shown at 6 p.m. Feb. 8 at St. Paul’s Parish Hall, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Presented by the Delray Beach Historical Society, a VIP host will open the event and oversee a question-and-answer session after the film. Refreshments will be served. Cost is $5, or free for St. Paul’s members. Register at delraybeachhistory.org.