Black History Month 2024 Events Planned In Groton

GROTON, CT — Events are planned in Groton this February to observe Black History Month, which this year celebrates “African Americans and the Arts.”

Black History Month began last week and continues through Leap Day on Feb. 29. Since 1976, every U.S. president has set aside February as a month to celebrate the achievements of African Americans and their role in U.S. history.

African American art is infused with multiple cultural influences, including African, Caribbean and the Black American lived experiences, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the founder of Black History Month.

These influences are seen in the visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression.

In Groton, Parks and Recreation released the following information on upcoming Black History Month events:

• Join Groton Parks and Recreation at Thrive 55+ (102 Newtown Rd.) on Saturday, February 17 at 5PM for a screening of Free Renty: Lanier v. Harvard which follows the story of Tamara Lanier, an African American woman from Norwich, CT fighting Harvard University for the rights to daguerreotypes of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty. This event is FREE with prior registration. Visit GrotonCT.MyRec.Com to register now! Limited seating. Light refreshments provided.
• Groton Parks and Recreation is hosting a Celebration of Black History Month at Thrive 55+ (102 Newtown Rd.) on Saturday, February 24 from 12-2PM. This event is open to the community and will recognize community leaders, share history of Black History Month, local African American history, and feature poetry readings from local artists. This is a free, family event. Light refreshments provided.

The first Black History Month observance was held nearly 100 years ago. Called Negro History Week at the time, it was established by Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson, the son of illiterate former slaves, who believed that the important contributions of Black Americans had been largely overlooked in published accounts of U.S. history.

Revered as the “father of Black History Month,” Woodson established the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915 to create a social scientific collection recording and publicizing the accomplishments of Black Americans.

Related: Black History Month 2024: 5 Things To Know