Celebrate Black History Month at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. As part of February’s programs, the museum offers African American History Tours featuring the new exhibit Bearing Witness: Civil Rights Photographs of Alexander Rivera and other exhibits. On Feb. 10, don’t miss Raleigh’s own Capital City Five, who will perform uplifting spiritual and gospel music. Youngsters and adults will enjoy a program by award-winning children’s book authors Eleanora Tate and Carole Boston Weatherford. They will discuss how African American history, such as the Greensboro sit-ins in 1960, inspires their stories.
Take a cultural trip around the world during a Feb. 2 performance by Raleigh Little Theatre’s Storytellers to Go! On Feb. 13, trace the literary trails of North Carolina’s Mountain region with author Georgann Eubanks. Check out these happenings and more at the N.C. Museum of History. All programs are free, and parking is free on weekends.
Programs:
Curator’s Tour: Bearing Witness: Civil Rights Photographs of Alexander Rivera
Saturday, Feb. 2
1:30 p.m.
Alexander M. Rivera Jr., Photojournalist
Discover the work of North Carolina native and renowned photojournalist Alexander Rivera, who captured pivotal moments in the Civil Rights movement as well as everyday life in the segregated South.
*The Wind of a Thousand Tales
Presented by Raleigh Little Theatre’s Storytellers to Go!
Saturday, Feb. 2
3 p.m.
Kimberly-Kay is too grown up to believe in fairy tales — that is, until the Wind of a Thousand Tales carries her off and changes her attitude with stories that span the globe.
*History Corner: History Detectives
Wednesday, Feb. 6
10 a.m.
Ages 5-9 with adult
To register, call 919-807-7992.
How do we know what we know about the past? Put on your detective’s cap and use clues from the attic to uncover history. The program is presented with Cameron Village Regional Library.
African American History Tour
Saturday, Feb. 9, 16 and 23
1:30 p.m.
Learn about North Carolina’s African American community during the time of the Civil Rights movement as you view the exhibit Bearing Witness: Civil Rights Photographs of Alexander Rivera. No reservations are needed, except for groups of 10 or more. To schedule group tours, call the Capital Area Visitor Center at 919-807-7950 or toll-free at 866-724-8687.
*The Capital City Five
Sunday, Feb. 10
3 p.m.
The Capital City Five has been performing a capella spiritual and gospel singing for more than 65 years. Let the harmonies of this soulful group soothe and uplift you. PineCone co-sponsors the performance.
History à la Carte: Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains
Wednesday, Feb. 13
12:10 p.m.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.
Georgann Eubanks, Author
Hear about the places, customs, colloquialisms and characters of the Mountain region that figure prominently in the works of the writers who have lived and worked there.
*History Stories for Children
Saturday, Feb. 16
2:30-4 p.m.
Visit with Eleanora Tate and other North Carolina children’s book authors, hear their stories, and go on a history hunt through the museum! Tate is a recipient of the Zora Neale Hurston Award from the National Association of Black Storytellers. Carole Boston Weatherford received the Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of 2005 for Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins. This program occurs in conjunction with the 19th National African American Read-In Chain.
For more information about these events, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org. Parking is available in the lot across Wilmington Street.
* programs of interest to children or families
The N.C. Museum of History’s hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Through June 2008, the museum will be open on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The department’s Web site is www.ncculture.com.