Delve into African-American History at MNHS Historic Sites This February

In February, the Minnesota Historical Society will help commemorate Black History Month with a variety of events and programs exploring African-Americans’ significant impact on Minnesota and national history.

On February 18, the exhibit “Penumbra Theatre at 40: Art, Race and a Nation on Stage” opens at the Minnesota History Center, documenting 40 years of this iconic St. Paul theater grounded in the African-American experience. Visitors can discover original Penumbra costumes and props and even step onto the set of “Fences” by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. The exhibit will be on view through July 30.

On the exhibit’s opening day, museum-goers can join a family day celebrating black Minnesotans through art activities, storytelling, performances by Penumbra company members and more.

During February, visitors can also view documentaries by filmmaker Ralph L. Crowder III on the Hand’s Up, Don’t Shoot movement and African-American life in Minneapolis in the 1940s and 1950s. This month is also the perfect time to dig into the past using Gale Family Library’s resources on African-American family history research.

View more Black History Month events at MNHS historic sites.