February is Black History Month. City-sponsored community partners have organized several opportunities to honor the history and contributions of Black Americans. Here’s a round up of the events and activities.

Check Out Exhibitions Featuring Boulder County Black Artists

The NAACP Boulder County is sponsoring several exhibitions featuring art by Black artists in our community. The collections, titled “Black Futures in Art: We’re Not Just History,” are available throughout the county.

  • Dairy Arts Center
    • 2590 Walnut St. Boulder, CO 80302
    • Through March 4
  • East Simpson Coffee
    • 201 E. Simpson St. Lafayette, CO 80026
    • Through March 4

Celebrate Black History Through Storytelling

Hear from children’s literature writer Nyibol Bior discuss her book “My Beautiful Colors.” Bior is a teacher and refugee born in South Sudan.

  • Feb. 18 10 a.m. at the Longmont Museum
  • Feb. 18 3 p.m. at the Lafayette Library

Register online.

Listen to the Nashville African American Wind Symphony

The City of Boulder is a sponsor of the NAACP Boulder County’s annual Freedom Fund Celebration. The Nashville African American Wind Symphony will play a selection of classic and cultural pieces. Attend the free event on Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. at Macky Auditorium (1595 Pleasant St. Boulder, CO 80310). Reserve a free ticket online.

Tune into KGNU’s Black Talk

KGNU community radio hosts Black Talk, a program that centers black voices, thought and vision. Tune in Feb. 20 at 8:35 a.m. to radio station 88.5 FM.

Hear Voices from the Past: Listen to the Museum of Boulder’s Oral History Collection

Oral histories from Black Colorado residents provide first-hand insight into a range of experiences and stories from Colorado history.

Read About Boulder’s Historic Black-Owned Businesses

Boulder’s Carnegie Branch Library has a new collection called “Black Business Ventures.” The collection, created with the help of local middle schoolers, documents stories and profiles of Black-owned businesses in Boulder. While many of the stories are a reminder of the tenacity of Black entrepreneurs against institutional racism in the 20th century, the collection is also filled with celebrations of familiar everyday life: a beautiful plant in a business owner’s Pearl Street store, siblings smiling in front of birthday cake, and a musician rocking to a melody on stage.

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