The 23rd Annual African American Cultural Celebration will take place at North Carolina Museum of History, 5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC, on Saturday, January 27, 2024, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
North Carolina Museum of History’s annual event will, as always, be free to experience.
Learn about more Black History Month events throughout the Triangle.
It’s the kickoff to Black History Month in Raleigh.
You can also follow the Facebook event for updates.
Schedule for African American Cultural Celebration
Opening Kickoff
Bicentennial Plaza to Lobby, Level 1
10:30–11 a.m.
Procession
Join the procession up Bicentennial Plaza and into the museum lobby to open the event!
- United States Colored Troops Reenactment Groups
- Shaw University Platinum Sound Marching Band Drumline
- Empower Dance Studio Dancers
Welcoming Remarks
- Adrienne Nirdé, director, North Carolina African American Heritage Commission
- D. Reid Wilson, secretary, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
- Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson, chair, North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, and dean, Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, Shaw University
Musical Performance
- 100 Men in Black Ensemble, gospel chorale: “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
CELEBRATE Music, Movement, and Drama
Daniels Auditorium, Level 1
Host: Warren Keyes, singer, regional stage and voice-over actor
- 11:15–11:45 a.m. 100 Men in Black Ensemble, gospel chorale
- 12:15–12:35 p.m. Empower Dance Studio
- 1–1:45 p.m. North Carolina Association of Black Storytellers ***
- 2–2:30 p.m. Thomas Rhyant, soul and gospel singer and acoustic guitarist
- 3–3:30 p.m. Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, Zeta Sigma Chapter, North Carolina Central University, step team
- 4–4:30 p.m. Tha Materials, soul and hip-hop group
*** American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are available.
CELEBRATE Literature and the Spoken Word
Demonstration Gallery, Level 1
Cohosts: Naledi Yaziyo, writer, literary activist, and founder of Rofhiwa Book Café and North Durham Farmer’s Market Bookstore (coming April 2024); and Sheila Brown Morris, creator of the African American Literary Tea (Town of Cary); owner, Black Orchid Consultants; and community affairs professional at Environmental Protection Agency (RTP)
- 11:15 a.m.–Noon Children’s Book Illustration and Comics
- 12:15–1 p.m. The Business of Publishing
- 1:15–2 p.m. Exploring Relationships and Romance: Spotlight on Two Black Women Novelists
- 2:15–2:45 p.m. The Making of Gloomy Gyrl
- 3:30–4:30 p.m. The Traditions of Spoken Word
CELEBRATE History, Enterprise, and Film
Longleaf A Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Host: Earl Ijames, curator, North Carolina Museum of History
- 11:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m. North Carolina Freedom Park Monument: The Beacon of Freedom
- 12:30–1 p.m. Silent Strength: Unveiling the Legacy of 20th-Century Black Women Domestic Workers in the US (1900–1940)
- 1:30–2 pm. Searching for Handy Brown (1820–1904): One Family’s Genealogical Odyssey
- 2:30–3 p.m. The Peter Oliver (1766–1810) Pavilion Gallery of Old Salem
- 3–3:45 p.m. North Carolina’s Buffalo Soldiers
- 4–4:30 p.m. The Birth of Funk and Its North Carolina Roots
CELEBRATE Craft and Art Traditions
Lobby, Level 1
- Alfreda Johnson, sweetgrass basket weaver
- Ben Watford, potter
- Ebony Raleigh Area Group Stitchers, quilters
- Pinkie Strother, miniatures artist
- Tarish “Jeghetto” Pipkins, puppeteer
- Pamela Washington, jewelry artist
Level 3
- Betty Williams, hatmaker
- C. J. Murphy, mixed media and mask artist
- Neal Thomas, split-oak basket maker
CELEBRATE Education and Heritage
Longleaf B Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Host: Najla McClain, program director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Duke University
- 11:30 a.m.–Noon Celebrate Jazz Master Max Roach
- 12:45–1:15 p.m. Uncovering Five Generations of Family History Under One Roof
- 1:45–2:15 p.m. How Hip-Hop Took Shape in North Carolina—And Changed Everything
- 2:45–3:15 p.m. Black Dance in North Carolina
CELEBRATE Food, Health, and Beauty
Cardinal Classroom, SECU Education Center, Level R
Cohosts: Charlene Marshall, owner of Charlene’s Naturals, a natural hair and body products line; and Dawn Daly-Mack, registered nurse for Rural Health Group and health advocate for Northampton County NAACP
- Noon–12:30 p.m. Black Maternal Health
- 1–1:30 p.m. Be Fierce, Be You
- 2–2:30 p.m. Savory Shrimp and Grits with Sarge
- 4–4:30 p.m. H.O.T. Organics
Hands-on Activities and Information Tables
10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
The Story of North Carolina Exhibit, Level 1
Passport Activity Hunt:
- Somerset Place State Historic Site: Handle reproduction objects in the Made from Off the Land traveling exhibit. *
- Historic Halifax State Historic Site: Learn about poet George Moses Horton, who protested slavery in his published works while being enslaved. *
- Civil War Reenactors: Battery B, 2nd Regiment, US Colored Light Artillery and 35th Regiment, US Colored Troops
- Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum: Help create a piece of community art in the style of Lois Mailou Jones, Palmer Memorial Institute’s first art teacher. *
- Pope House Museum, City of Raleigh Museum: Make a doctor’s head mirror, and learn the history of Dr. Manassa T. Pope.
Lobby, Level 1
- AARP: Snap a photo in an interactive photo booth. *
- Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
- North Carolina Association of Black Storytellers
- North Carolina Museum of History Associates: Sign up for half-price museum memberships.
- North Carolina Rosenwald Schools Coalition
- Quilting: Try your hand at stitching a quilt. *
- Southern First Bank
- State Capitol: Participate in a freedom hands activity. *
- You Can Vote
Level 3
- Adinkra Stamps: Create your own postcard to take home. *
- Advance Community Health
- Gresham Coins, Stamps, Medals, & Sport Memorabilia
- Make a Hat or Crown: Create your own celebratory hat or crown out of paper. *
- North Carolina Museum of Art
- Triangle Friends of African American Arts
- Wheel of History: Test your knowledge of Black history. *
SECU Education Center, Level R
- North Carolina African American Heritage Commission
- North Carolina Leadership Immersion Program
- State Archives of North Carolina, Special Collections Section
- State Library of North Carolina, Government and Heritage Library
- Wake Technical Community College
Food Trucks and Food Vendors
10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Bicentennial Plaza
- Hustle & Grind Mobile Coffee Shop
- Lee’s Kitchen: Jamaican foods
- Soulbachi: Afro Asian fusion
- Sugar Grinders Creamery and Bakery
- Premier Cakes Diner at the NC Museum of History
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
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However, sometimes things change without notice, and it's also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
More Black History Month Events
Check out a list of Black History Month events and sites in the Triangle, or look at a quick list here:
