With February here, the town governments of Orange County are sharing a variety of ways for community members to engage with Black History Month.
The annual, month-long observance — made formal in 1976 — is recognized by Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Orange County each year with resolutions or proclamations honoring it. Additionally, there are several events organized or sponsored by the towns or county government to help best recognize Black contributions to our local and national history, culture, and society. Below is a list of what events have been publicized so far by the various local governments.
This list will be updated as more events are announced. While these events are largely run or sponsored by the local governments, community members are welcome to submit an event on the Chapelboro Local Events Calendar.
Town of Carrboro
The Town of Carrboro shared a slate of Black History Month activities on its website, many of which will take place at the Carrboro Century Center on North Greensboro Street.
Among them, the town is hosting a lecture series featuring Director of the Sonja H. Stone Center for Black Culture and History Jim Jordan and renowned local musician Kenny Mann Jr. Jordan’s will overlap with the national theme of 2024’s Black History Month (“African Americans and the Arts”) and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, February 5. Mann will host a lecture on “Celebrating Black People in America” on Monday, February 12 at the same time.
Carrboro is also hosting a free concert series for Black History Month. Neo soul artist Erin Blue will kick it off on Sunday, February 4 beginning at 3 p.m. The R&B and jazz group Collective Groove Band will perform on Sunday, February 18 at 4:30 p.m., and folk gospel singer Mary Williams will perform Sunday, February 25 at 3 p.m. All shows will be at the Century Center’s Century Hall and will not require any tickets to attend.
The town government is also partnering with the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition and the Equal Justice Initiative for a reflective event on Sunday, February 18. The groups will unveil a new historical marker detailing the life and death of Manly McCauley — a Black man lynched by a white mob in 1898 just west of Carrboro. A program sharing more about McCauley, reckoning with the town’s role in his death, and musical and poetic performances will begin at 2 p.m. outside Carrboro Town Hall.
Town of Chapel Hill
Several events at the Chapel Hill Public Library will help community members participate and honor Black History Month in February.
The library will host a local Black storytellers panel on Thursday, February 15 to discuss their creative journeys and the diversity of voices who share the Black experience. The panel — featuring Jaki Shelton Green, Jacque Nyemb, and Anise Vance — will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room B. A Black History Month edition of “Book Bites” will take place on Sunday, February 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. as well. Library staff will share a curated list of books by Black authors and give suggestions on how to pick books like a librarian.
Additionally, library visitors will have the chance to explore a timeline of the Chapel Hill Civil Rights Movement and the Chapel Hill Community History I Was Still Singing exhibit, both of which are on display at the main level of the library through February. More events held by the Chapel Hill Public Library can be found here.
Young civil rights activists demonstrate in Chapel Hill during 1963. (Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill Civil Rights History Timeline.)
Orange County
The Orange County government created a Black History Month calendar on its website to highlight county-organized events through February.
The first is set for Friday, February 2, as the Orange County Office of Equity & Inclusion will host a film screening of 2022’s “Till” with the Orange County Department on Aging. The movie will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Seymour Center’s theater room in Chapel Hill.
That same night, the Orange County Arts Commission will hold an opening reception for its latest show from its 2023 BIPOC Artist in Residence, TJ Mundy and other North Carolina-based Black artists. “Blackfuturism” will open as part of the First Fridays at the Mill series: 6 to 9 p.m., free to the public, at the Eno River Arts Mill.
The county will also host its 34th annual Pauli Murray awards during Black History Month. The program — named after the trailblazing priest and civil rights activist raised in Durham — honors adults, youths, and businesses nominated as “change-makers” in the Orange County community. The awards presentation will take place on Sunday, February 25 at 3 p.m. in the Whitted Building in Hillsborough. Nominations are due by Monday, February 5.
Orange County’s Office of Equity & Inclusion is also hosting a book club discussion on Tuesday, February 6. Community members are welcome to discuss author James McBride’s novel “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at the Orange County Public Library.
The county library is also teaming up with the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough on Saturday, February 10 and Saturday, February 17 to screen the two-part PBS documentary “The Black Church,” with a discussion featuring local panelists after the second screening. Each are set to begin at 1 p.m. at the main library in Hillsborough. Registration can be completed here.
Local BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) elected officials across all of Orange County’s governing bodies continued a Black History Month tradition of reading a piece of poetry to honor the month. In 2024, the group chose “Rosa Parks” by Nikki Giovanni — and the virtual performance can be watched here.
Additional community-submitted events can be found on the Chapelboro Local Events Calendar.
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