Black History Month Kingston 2019

Friday February 1st kicks off Black History Month. Here in Kingston NY, the Second Annual “Black History Month Kingston” will celebrate all February long with exciting, inclusive events.

2019 marks the 400th Anniversary of Africans being brought to America as slaves. Black History Month Kingston (BHMK) will bring awareness to this fact by celebrating many of the African-Americans who helped paved the way for racial justice and equality in America, and by accentuating African-American culture. 

Some highlights of this year’s Black History Month Kingston will take place on the opening day. On Friday February 1st, Mayor Steve Noble will kick-off the month-long celebrations with a Proclamation, recognizing the importance of Black History and bringing such celebratory events to Kingston NY. Afterwards, head over to the YMCA to continue the festivities with a free community dinner in the evening.

Some other highlights will be:

• On Saturday February 9th, the 1st Annual Sojourner Truth Life Walk will take place. Re-live many life events of abolitionist Sojourner Truth, walking from Port Ewen to the Ulster County Courthouse. The walk will include brief pit-stops. This exceptional event will end with a live in-person reenactment of her famous “Ain’t I A Woman” speech by Deborah Zull and a group meal at Texas Roadhouse.
• On Thursday February 14th, the “Bring Your Dude Valentine’s Day Dance” will take place in the Kingston High School Cafeteria. This dance highlights inclusivity of “dudes of all kinds” (fathers, step-dads, brothers, cousins, important male figures) and the importance of being positive male role models and spending time with the young women in their lives.
• On Saturday February 16th, the TMI Project presents the first-ever intergenerational Black Stories Matter at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Kingston.
• On Sunday February 17th participate in the O+’s Mural Tour for BHMK.
• On Saturday February 23rd, Harambee presents the 2nd Annual Black History Month Kingston Gala at La Mirage in Port Ewen. This will celebrate the month’s accomplishments and honor the local community member honorees with a night of great food, dancing and networking.

Lastly, to commemorate the end of the month’s celebrations there will be a closing ceremony mixer at the Empowerment Center on February 28th.

Black History Month Kingston invites everyone to come out and participate in the sharing of cultures. These events are intended to be all-inclusive, community-focused, and great educational experiences for people of all ages and races.

Check out the map and detailed listings below to discover BHMK events happening Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown.

To learn even more, visit:

Blackhistorymonthkingston.org or Harambeekingstonny.org

Black History Month Event Locations

Black History Month Activities