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Fairfax County Public Library is marking Black History Month and America’s 250th anniversary with programs highlighting Black Americans’ history, creativity and civic influence.
The schedule includes author talks, children’s activities, music, dance, art and book discussions. Dates and times may change, so attendees should confirm event details before visiting.
On Saturday, February 7, Martha Washington Library will host Dr. Sherri Williams for a discussion of how Black activism on Twitter influenced the way television is viewed, developed and produced.
Also on February 7, local author M.J. O’Brien will appear at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library to discuss his latest book about the Tougaloo Nine. In March 1961, the nine students from historically Black Tougaloo College held sit-ins over three days at the all-White Main Library in Jackson, Mississippi.
Edwin B. Henderson II will speak at George Mason Regional Library on Monday, February 9, about African American history and contributions in Northern Virginia, cultural celebration and continuing efforts toward greater understanding and racial reckoning.
At Reston Regional Library on Tuesday, February 10, Bsrat Mezghebe will discuss her debut novel, I Hope You Find What You Are Looking For, with award-winning author and professor Helon Habila.
Children in grades K-6 can explore the achievements of Black inventors and scientists through crafts and experiments during a STEAM program at Lorton Library on Saturday, February 14.
Two programs are scheduled for Sunday, February 15. At City of Fairfax Regional Library, George Mason University Associate Professor of Dance Lawrence M. Jackson will examine how Black dance preserves African cultural traditions and affirms identity and independence. At Sherwood Regional Library, an American Girl book club will discuss Finding Freedom, the story of Addy Walker’s escape from slavery to freedom in Philadelphia in 1864, before making Addy-inspired appliqué pillows.
Burke Centre Library will offer a Jean-Michel Basquiat-inspired self-portrait workshop on Tuesday, February 17. Participants will learn about Basquiat’s rise to fame and his influence on art through his neo-expressionist style.
African countries, geography and traditions will be explored through music, dance, artifacts and folktales at Kings Park Library on Thursday, February 19.
Crime novelist S.A. Cosby will deliver a keynote presentation at The Alden at McLean Community Center on Saturday, February 21. The author of King of Ashes, All the Sinners Bleed, Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland will discuss his work and the influence of his life in Southeastern Virginia.
Also on February 21, award-winning performer Alison Crockett will present “The Evolution of Jazz” at Sherwood Regional Library and Centreville Regional Library, tracing the music from its spiritual roots to the present.
The month’s featured events conclude Saturday, February 28, at John Marshall Library. Attendees can make paper airplanes while watching a movie about the Tuskegee Airmen, the Black pilots who faced discrimination on the ground while proving their abilities in the air.
The library has also assembled Black History Month reading lists for adults and children.