Black History Month began Saturday, and the city of Bloomington is ready to celebrate. Here are some events Bloomington residents can attend during the month of February.
Indiana University events
The Black Film Center and Archive will kick off Black History Month with a free screening of “Bad Things Happen in Philadelphia” beginning at 6 p.m. Monday at the Herman B Wells Library room 004.The director of the film, Kyra Knox, and producer Mark Mims will join for a post-documentary discussion.
A few days later, the Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center will host a hip-hop house party at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the NMBCC Grand Hall. According to the event post, it will be an immersive experience that highlights the elements of hip-hop, complete with a DJ, MC and dancers.
Another cultural performance by students in the IU Voice Department will take place Feb. 11. This will be a celebration of African American and African Diasporic Song and will kick off at 5 p.m. at Auer Hall in the Jacobs School of Music.
The NMBCC will also host a Black Faculty and Staff Appreciation lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 12 at the NMBCC Grand Hall. Free food and gifts will be provided.
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the NMBCC is teaming up with the Eskenazi School of Art Architecture and Design, as well as the Eskenazi Museum of Art, for a culture crawl highlighting Black creativity from the visual to performing arts. For the Love of Black Art will begin with a guided tour at 4 p.m. Feb. 13 and end with a performance and reception at 6 p.m. the same day.
To end the month, the IU School of Education will host a public concert by the African American Choral Ensemble. The concert will take place from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 26 at the School of Education.
All of these events are free, require no RSVP and are open to everyone.
Other events can be found throughout the month of February on the IU Bloomington Events Calendar.
City of Bloomington events
The City of Bloomington hosted its own Black History Month kick-off on Saturday at City Hall. The theme of the kickoff event was “African Americans and Labor: From Slave Ships to the White House,” according to a press release.
There will also be a market for Black-owned businesses, creators and organizations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 15 at City Hall. The market will honor the legacy of Bloomington’s original Black Market that was destroyed by a firebomb in 1968.
A week later, there will be an event at 6 p.m. Feb. 21 to reveal and award the winners of the 2025 Black History Month essay contest. This will take place at City Hall.
Lastly, a Black History Month Gala will take place on March 1 at the Monroe Convention Center. There will be dining, dancing and recognition of both the 2025 Living Legend recipients and Commission on the Status of Black Males’ Outstanding Black Leaders of Tomorrow award winners.
This event will begin with a reception and silent auction at 6 p.m. March 1, followed by the program at 7 p.m. Individual tickets are $62 and go on sale Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater and can also be purchased online.
