Black History Month is a time to honor the legacy and contributions of African Americans through history. From museums to historic landmarks, there’s much to explore in Jersey City and New York City.
Here are three places to visit during Black History Month.
Afro-American Historical Society Museum – Jersey City
Featuring a mockup of what a 1940s black family’s apartment would look like, it’s easy to get immersed while learning about the ice box that housed real ice, the Victrola record player, cathedral radio and washboard.
In addition to an apartment, the museum also has a reproduction of a Jersey slave cabin that brings the realities of history to life.
FIT Exhibit – Back in Time: A Black Renaissance – NYC
Running through March 8, 2022, the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Black Student Union has curated an interactive exhibition that showcases the work of students, faculty and alumni that illustrates a constant evolution in black art.
The exhibit aims to teach visitors about black fashion, music, cinema, and literature from as early as Ancient Egypt to the present day. Learn more.
Exhibit – Burn: Origins & Resistance – NJCU
On view through early March, New Jersey City University’s Visual Arts Gallery hosts Burn: Origins & Resistance by Antoinette Ellis-Williams.
The exhibit is is a multi-disciplinary project aimed to rethinks and explore the many ways black women experience “Burn” (e.g. unemployment, appropriation, dismissal, isolation, gentrification, cooptation, physical and sexual abuse, exploitation, etc.) and simultaneously the unique ways they set things on “Fiya” (a.k.a fire) and heal. Learn more.