February is Black History Month. Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The Black History Month 2024 theme is “African Americans and the Arts.” To learn more about this year’s theme and previous years, visit https://asalh.org/black-history-themes/.
Join us in paying tribute to and celebrating the achievements of African Americans and recognizing their central role in U.S. history.
Visit Portage City Hall all month long to view our “Ten Little Known Facts” exhibition. Discover memorable moments and courageous stories in American history that you may have never known. Learn about lesser-known change-makers, like Claudette Colvin and the bus boycotts, Onesimus and inoculations, the first African American pilot, cowboys, and more.
On Saturday, February 3, at 6 PM, join us at the Air Zoo for our annual Black History Month Presentation. Dr. Sian Proctor is our special speaker. She is the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft, the first African American commercial astronaut, and the first African American to paint in space.
And don’t forget to visit Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park at 1000 MLK Drive. The park features a series of five bronze sculptures highlighting Dr. King's message, a "Garden of Hope," landscape corridors, meditative benches, shade trees, and an interpretive kiosk highlighting Dr. King's legacy.