February is Black History Month. Check out these programs and events in Beaufort County

Mary Dimitrov, Karl Puckett
·3 min read
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Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on St. Helena Island.

Events honoring the accomplishments of Black Americans are scheduled across Beaufort County in February as part of Black History Month.

Here’s what’s planned:

▪ St. Helena Island’s Penn Center, the first school in the South for formerly enslaved people, will present a “community sing” at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Frissell Community House, 16 Penn Center Circle-West.

The program’s theme is Black Resistance and the historical journey of African Americans who have resisted oppression will be celebrated. Local church choirs will sing old-time spirituals. St. Helena Elementary School students will portray famous Black inventors. Marsh View Community Organic Farm, Inc. will present the “A Praise House Experience.” And members of the St. Helena community will portray famous historical heroes

▪ University of South Carolina Bluffton hosts a series of events throughout the month.

There are three programs left this month at USCB. Douglass Day from 12 -3 p.m. Feb. 14 will celebrate Fredrick Douglass and other Black writers. The Divine 9 Experience will feature a group of nine historically black Greek organizations Feb. 23 from 7-10 p.m. There will be a closing lecture, “Next Steps for Resistance, Resilience & Re-imagination” Feb. 28 from 4:30-5:45 p.m.

▪ Beaufort County School District, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, Pat Conroy Literary Center, Technical College of the Lowcountry, University of South Carolina Beaufort, and Penn Center are collaborating to host “Untold Stories, Pathways for the Next Generation,” an African American history education conference with a focus on Beaufort County’s rich and diverse history.

For three days, from Feb. 9-11 there will be live music and dance, art, cuisine, and in-depth presentations and panel discussions from local and national artists, authors, educators, clergy and historians. The event kicks off Thursday, Feb. 9, with a choice of six historical tours. Friday, Feb. 10, begins on the grounds of the Technical College of the Lowcountry, moving to the campus of the University of South Carolina Beaufort on Saturday, Feb. 11.

Registration is full every day except Feb. 11 and tickets can be purchased for $25 on the BCSD website. BCSD employees and BCSD, TCL and USCB students can attend the conference free of charge, but still need to register.

▪ A Taste of Gullah is from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Art League Gallery, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. It’s an afternoon filled with gumbo, conch stew, fried fish and shrimp dusted in traditional Gullah seasonings and more favorites, storytelling, music, and other activities. Admission is free but food is available for purchase.

▪ Gullah Market and Block Party: An Arts, Crafts and Food Expo from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be Saturday, Feb. 18, Historic Honey Horn, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Children 5 and under admitted for free. It’s an all-access experience to Gullah culture featuring Gullah and African crafts and food, traditional storytelling, music entertainment, and more. Events will proceed rain or shine.

▪ Celebration of African American Authors is from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Rotary Community Center, 11 Recreation Drive, Bluffton. The featured guest author is former NFL player Aaron Maybin. A complimentary lunch will be provided at this free event.

If you know of any other local programs please reach out to mdimitrov@islandpacket.com or kapuckett@islandpacket.com