Black History Month Events in Georgetown
Georgetown’s Rose Park was the home court for Margaret and Roumania Peters (pictured above), tennis stars of the late 1930s who lived at 2710 O Street, NW. The sisters consistently won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Georgetown African-American Heritage Trail throughout Georgetown (All month). Follow Cultural Tourism DC’s African American Heritage Trail, available on our website, to see the institutions and homes of Herring Hill, a 15-block area of eastern-most Georgetown that was a home for families migrating to DC after the Civil War. Other points of interest include the site of formerly enslaved Georgetown resident Yarrow Mamout’s home, the Mount Zion / Female Union Band Society Cemetery, and the Rose Park tennis courts—dedicated to the star Peters sisters.
Black Women’s Political Panel at Georgetown University (February 5, 5:30pm – 7 pm). Black women have been lauded for “saving American democracy” and have been called the “backbone of the Democratic party.” These monikers reveal the importance of Black women as political leaders, voters, and organizers. This panel will feature experts on Black women’s politics who will discuss their scholarship concerning the 2024 elections and Black women’s political influence beyond the ballot box.
Intersectionality Series: Lachi – Performance and Workshop at Georgetown University (February 6, 6pm – 7:30pm). Lachi was named a “dedicated foot soldier for disability pride” by Forbes, and has held talks with the White House, the UN, and the Kennedy Center, and has been featured in Essence, Billboard and The New York Times for celebrating intersectionality through art and for her upbeat and unapologetic brand of disability pride. Join Georgetown University for an evening of performance and dialogue. The Intersectionality Series seeks to create an ongoing dialogue on campus about intersectionality as an embodied ethos and practice, by amplifying artists, scholars, practitioners, and activists with relevant lived experience and expertise.
Readings and Talks at Georgetown University (February 6, 7pm – 8:30 pm). Join the Lannan Center for a special reading featuring poets Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Saddiq Dzukogi, Henneh Kyereh Kwaku, and Tolu Oloruntoba. Free and open to the public!
Ancestral Spaces: People of African Descent Tour at Tudor Place (February 6 – April 21). Curated in collaboration with descendants, this special installation and guided tour presents the multi-faceted individuals and families of African descent who lived and worked at Tudor Place for generations. Explore the historic house through their lives, learn how they impacted the world around them and discover their enduring legacy. Guided tours are offered hourly; ticket includes garden access. Pre-registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Tours have a capacity of 10 guests.
Black Georgetown: The Story of a Proud Community at Holy Trinity Catholic Church (February 7, 6pm). Holy Trinity Catholic Church and the Citizens Association of Georgetown are sponsoring this presentation by distinguished historian Carroll R. Gibbs, which will chronicle one of the District’s oldest neighborhoods – leading you on a journey of heartbreak and hope, of self-reliance and resilience, as it fights to preserve its inspiring legacy. The event will feature a special performance by JJAK quartet and Cynáa-Nicole, both of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. This event is in celebration of National Black History Month, and is part of the Holy Trinity History and Restorative Justice Ministry’s “Getting to Better Know our Neighbors” series.
“Philosophical Dimensions of 18th Century Debates about Slavery” with Professor Julia Jorati at Georgetown University (February 12, 12:30pm – 1:45pm). Join the Center for the Study of Slavery and Its Legacies for this talk. Philosopher Julia Jorati, University of Massachusetts Amherst, recently published Slavery and Race: Philosophical Debates in the Eighteenth Century with Oxford University Press. Lunch will be provided.
Honorary Degree Ceremony & Oliver Tambo Lecture with Leymah Gbowee at Georgetown University (February 13, 5pm – 7pm). An honorary degree will be presented to Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Founder and President of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, and Executive Director of the Institute on Gender, Law, and Transformative Peace As a special feature of this event, Leymah Gbowee will also deliver the Oliver Tambo Lecture on “Peace is…”
The Syphaxes of VA and DC: Enslavement and Freedom and Their Connection to the Washington, Custis, and Lee Families at City Tavern Preservation Foundation (February 22, 6pm – 8pm). Stephen Hammond is a 7th generation member of the Syphax family of Washington, DC. He has documented his ancestors’ connections to several historically significant sites, including Mount Vernon, Arlington House, Abingdon, Decatur House, and Freedmen’s Village. Mr Hammond, a geologist, has retired from a productive 40-year career with the United States Geological Survey where he is now an Emeritus Scientist. Upon retirement, Steve traded his full-time geology work for genealogy and family history research.
Book Event with Ruth J. Simmons, Author of ‘Up Home: One Girl’s Journey’ at Georgetown University (February 26, 5pm – 7pm). Ruth J. Simmons, President Emerita of Brown University, will be in conversation about her memoir, Up Home: One Girl’s Journey. The event will be moderated by John J. DeGioia, President of Georgetown University, and will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.
South Africa: Democracy and Arts Activism at Georgetown University (February 29, 6pm – 8pm). This event, co-sponsored by African Studies, will feature a discussion with Tladi Ditshego, a special guest from the South African Embassy, and two South African artists about the arts as democratic place-making and how the arts contribute to ongoing efforts for economic equity in contemporary South Africa with a performance by Refiloe Lepere and Mxolisi Masilela.
