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Seattle is filled with a rich history and African American culture and Black History Month is the prime time to celebrate them. With events going on all over Seattle throughout the month of February, there is bound to be an event to catch a person’s interest. From film to historical presentations to bicycling there is a little bit of something going on in almost every facet of life.

Price: Free
Hours: Feb. 3, Feb. 10, Feb. 17 – 2 p.m.

The “Black History Month Family Film Series” aims to celebrate African-American culture by providing a family friendly film series open to the public that is free for all ages. Come and watch Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” as well as “Akeelah and the Bee” on the first three Sundays in February. Voiced by the talented Laurence Fishburne and Keke Palmer, these films are sure to delight children of any age while celebrating Black History Month.

Price: Free
Hours: Feb. 15 – 6:30 p.m.

This interpretive presentation details the escape and subsequent travels of Charles Mitchell. As a young boy he fled captivity and traveled to Canada on foot. Eve Abram, along with Humanities Washington Speaker Bureau, are presenting this tale by focusing on the ideologies and the social and economic differences between the North and the South. This is an important exhibition because it not only celebrates African-American culture but also provides context that every generation should understand.

Price: $12
Hours: Feb. 22 – 7 p.m.

Growing up in Harlem, Nelson Vails was the youngest of 10 kids and worked as a bicycle messenger to help support his family. His love of bicycling blossomed and by 1984 he became the first African American to win an Olympic medal for bicycling in Track Sprint. Vails and the Cascade Bicycle Club will be host an event at the REI in North Seattle to celebrate Black History Month. All proceeds will benefit the Major Taylor Project, which honors African-American cyclist Marshal “Major” Taylor and promotes cycling and healthy living among area youth. Come on down to REI and meet a living legend while celebrating Black History Month and the love of the sport.

Price: Free
Hours: Feb. 19 – 10 a.m.

Presented by Seattle Pacific University, “Deep Rivers 5: A Celebration of Freedom In Poetry and Song,” will be headed by Director/Educator Valerie Curtis-Newton. The event will feature songs and poetry by numerous acclaimed and amateur songwriters and poets, but will all be aimed at celebrating African-American culture. So on Feb. 19, stop and join on what is sure to be a jovial event at the Seattle Pacific University Chapel.

Price: $10
Hours: Feb. 10 – 7:30 p.m.

Tayo Aluko, a famous Nigerian writer and performer, will be discussing the history of Africans prior to slavery, as well as Africans’ resistance to discrimination throughout the centuries. Specifically, Tayo’s musicl-themed presentation will focus on the lead-up to the election of President Barack Obama and how it symbolically relates to the rise of African American culture, especially in the United States. This is a fantastic way to celebrate Black History month and how it pertains to contemporary American politics.

Related:  Seattle’s Own Northwest African American Museum