Here’s what’s happening for Black History Month at Connecticut’s stages, museums and libraries

February is Black History Month, a time embraced by local arts and cultural venues to celebrate contemporary Black achievements by presenting shows and events created by Black artists or centered around the Black experience.

Here is a list of events throughout Connecticut in February. Some of the venues have mask mandates, vaccination mandates or both. Also, some events may be canceled or postponed on very short notice as a result of ever-changing COVID protocols. Check websites for details before buying tickets or planning to attend. This list is not all-inclusive.

Theater, stage and comedy

Through Feb. 6: Hartford Stage, 50 Church St., presents Pearl Cleage’s “Angry, Raucous & Shamelessly Gorgeous,” which “tells the story of four African American women in their 20s, 40s, and 60s who each have a unique perspective on feminism, art, and activism.” $20 to $100. hartfordstage.org.

Feb. 4: Donald Oat Theater, 62 Broadway in Norwich, presents a tribute to Nina Simone starring Kyndra Joi and the Miss Lottie’s Café Band at 8 p.m. $22, $20 seniors, students and military. norwicharts.org/events.

Feb. 5: Funny Bone Comedy Club, at the Buckland Hills mall in Manchester, presents the We Ain’t Done Yet Wild N’ Out Comedy Tour, with Jay “Big JJ” Lewis and Mope Williams, at 7 and 9:30 p.m. $64 for a table for two. hartford.funnybone.com.

Feb. 11: The a cappella ensemble Nobuntu from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe celebrate their identity as African women through their songs and dance at the Wesleyan University’s Crowell Concert Hall in Middletown at 7 p.m. Free. Register at wesleyan.edu

Feb. 12 to March 20: “This Bitter Earth,” the story of a Black playwright and his boyfriend, a white Black Lives Matter activist, will be performed at Theater Works Hartford, 233 Pearl St. It stars Harrison David Rivers. $25 to $65. twhartford.org.

Jan. 26 to Feb. 27: Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road in West Hartford, presents “Five Guys Named Moe,” Clarke Peters’ musical that pays homage to the songs of Louis Jordan. Talkbacks with the cast after the Sunday matinees. $20 to $50. playhouseonpark.org.

Feb. 2 and 16: Funny Bone Comedy Club, at the Buckland Hills mall in Manchester, presents Marshall Brandon & Big Regg. 7:30 p.m. $25. hartford.funnybone.com.

Feb. 8: Riverwood Poetry Series presents Manchester Poet Laureate Ryan Parker in a Zoom reading and Q&A at 7 p.m. “Parker’s work focuses on race in education, the power of hip-hop pedagogy and the necessity of centering Black and brown youth amplifying their lived experiences,” Real Art Ways’ website states. Free. Register at realartways.org.

Feb. 26: Bijou Theater, 275 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport, presents “Stax of Soul.” 8 p.m. The show is a tribute to Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Booker T & the MG’s, and featuring Lady Soul singing the hits of Aretha Franklin. $22 to $37. bijoutheatrect.spacecrafted.com.

Feb. 18: Wall Street Theater, 71 Wall St. in Norwalk, presents comedian Eddie Griffin at 8 p.m. $45 to $85. wallstreettheater.com.

Feb. 18: Preacher Lawson presents an evening of standup comedy at 8 p.m. in the Great Cedar Showroom at Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd. in Ledyard. $32 to $40. foxwoods.com/entertainment/.

Feb. 19: “A Tribute to Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul,” starring Valerie Simpson and Damien Sneed, at 8:30 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road on the UConn campus in Storrs. $25 to $55. jorgensen.uconn.edu.

Feb. 26: Garth Fagan Dance will perform at 8 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road on the UConn campus in Storrs. $15 to $35. jorgensen.uconn.edu.

Feb. 27: Funny Bone Comedy Club, at the Buckland Hills mall in Manchester, presents the Project Herlarious, with comic Eryca Nolan, at 4 p.m. $30 for a table for two. hartford.funnybone.com.

Feb. 27: Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St. in Waterbury, presents Life in Color Fashion Show, “an immersive runway experience that encourages Black excellence and culture through art, design, fashion, and music” at 4:30 p.m. $10 to $65 online, $25 to $80 at the door. Vaccination proof or negative COVID test required for entry. palacetheaterct.org.

Feb. 1: The Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport, presents actor/playwright Tenisi Davis in a staged reading of his new play on Feb. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m., both live and virtual. Admission is free. Open to students ages 11-24 and their families. theklein.org.

Museum events and exhibits

Through Feb. 19: ArtWalk at Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St., presents “The Adornment Series: Images of Empowerment,” an exhibit of work by Michelle Thomas, until Feb. 19. A mask-making workshop will be Feb. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. and a closing reception will be Feb. 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Hartford artist “creates large-scale works that use ceramic mask making techniques and found objects to create sculptural portrayals of people of African descent in the United States in order to connect these communities to deeper, more diverse, ancestral roots before slavery and combat imagery that denigrates the history of Black people in America.” hplct.org.

Through April 3: Amistad Center for Art & Culture, inside the Wadsworth Atheneum at 600 Main St. in Hartford, is showing the exhibit “Changing Lanes: Mobility in Connecticut.” The show, inspired by Gretchen Sullivan Sorin’s book “Driving While Black,” focuses on the historical barriers to African-American mobility. Admission is free with admission to the Atheneum. amistadcenter.org.

Through May 1: New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St., presents “People and Places in America, 1960s to Today,” until May 1. The show of work by artists of color and other marginalized people includes Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Martine Gutierrez, Rashaad Newsome and Iké Udé. $15, $12 seniors, kids free. nbmaa.org.

Through Feb. 18: Sterling House Community Center, 2283 Main St. in Stratford, will present the exhibit “Through Our Eyes: A Celebration of Local Black Artists.” Free. artsallianceofstratford.org.

Feb. 24 to March 26: Joseloff Gallery at University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave. in West Hartford, will exhibit illustrations by Floyd Cooper. Cooper illustrated more than 100 children’s stories about African American history and Black Americans. Free. hartford.edu.

Jan. 28 to June 18: Fairfield University Art Museum, 1073 North Benson Road, presents “Adger Cowans: Sense and Sensibility.” Cowans co-founded the group Kamoinge, whose mission is to “honor, document and preserve the history and culture of the African Diaspora with integrity and insight for humanity through the lens of Black Photographers.” fairfield.edu/museum/.

Film

On Feb. 2: Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, will screen “Summer of Soul,” a doc about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, at 7:30 p.m. “Queen & Slim,” a drama about a racial profiling, will be Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. “Lady Sings the Blues,” the biopic of Billie Holiday starring Diana Ross, is Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. $10, $5 senior. ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

Feb: 2: Bijou Theater, 275 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport, will screen “Summer of Soul,” at 7 p.m. Free. bijoutheatrect.spacecrafted.com.

Feb. 10: Bristol Library, 5 High St., will screen the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” starring Jennifer Hudson, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Free. RSVP at bristollib.com.

Feb. 11 and 12: Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St. in Waterbury, presents “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” on Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 12 at 2 and 8 p.m. $49 to $89. palacetheaterct.org.

Feb. 20 and 23: “Lady Sings the Blues,” the 1972 biopic of Billie Holiday starring Diana Ross, will be shown Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. and Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at Cinemark Buckland Hills, Cinemark Enfield, Regal Brass Mill in Waterbury, Cinemark North Haven, Criterion Cinemas in New Haven, AMC Lisbon, Connecticut Post in Milford, AMC Danbury, Mystic Luxury Cinema, Regal Stonington and Ultimate Regent 8 in South Norwalk. Admission varies by theater. fathomevents.com.

Music

Feb. 4: Bijou Theater, 275 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport, presents “Bridgeport, This is Us! A Celebration of African American Musicians,” at 8 p.m. Performers are James Moss, Darian Cunning, Mark Matthew, The Steve Clarke Band with Pat Marafiote, Chris Stanley & Thom Adams, MDIII/Michael Dunham, Janice Dempsey, Tiffany T’Zelle Wilson and Nate Barnes. $15. bijoutheatrect.spacecrafted.com.

Feb. 4: Earth, Wind & Fire will perform at 8 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at the casino complex at 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard in Uncasville. $47 to $67. This is the rescheduled event for the original date of Dec. 10, 2021. Tickets purchased for original date will be honored. mohegansun.com.

Feb. 4: Smokey Robinson will perform at 8 p.m. at the Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd. in Ledyard. $50 to $100. foxwoods.com/entertainment/.

Feb. 5: El Alfa will perform at 8 p.m. at the Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd. in Ledyard. $75 to $205. foxwoods.com/entertainment/.

Feb. 5: Arch Street Tavern, 85 Arch St. in Hartford, presents “Black Rock Funk All Stars,” with members of The Breakfast, Deep Banana Blackout and Kung Fu, on at 9 p.m. $15. archstreettavern.com.

Feb. 6: A jazz performance by Emery Austin Smith will be at Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St., from 3 to 4 p.m., as part of the Baby Grand Jazz series. Hplct.org.

Feb. 7: The Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport, presents guitarist Carl Carter from 6 to 7:30 p.m., both live and virtual. Admission is free. Open to students ages 11-24 and their families. theklein.org

Feb. 12: “An Evening of Love,” with Amerie, Mario, Bobby V, Lloyd and J. Holiday, will be presented at 8 p.m. at the Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd. in Ledyard. $85 to $158. foxwoods.com/entertainment/.

Feb. 12: West Indian Social Club, 3340 Main St. in Hartford, presents “Peak of Love,” a night of music by reggae artist King Muziah, the Higher Heights Band and others from 7 to midnight. Muziah’s show is at 10 p.m. $20, $35 for couples presale only. eventbrite.com.

Feb. 12: Wall Street Theater, 71 Wall St. in Norwalk, presents Ruben Studdard singing the songs of Luther Vandross at 7:30 p.m. $45 to $79. wallstreettheater.com.

Feb. 14: Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love will perform “All You Need is Love for Valentine’s Day” on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. at Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge. $75 to $85. ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

Feb. 16: “Lil Tecca: Tecca Loves You Tour,” also featuring Bktherula, Yvngxchris and BabySantana, is at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre, 95 South Turnpike Road in Wallingford, on Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. $35. oakdale.com.

Feb. 18: Bijou Theater, 275 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport, presents Funk Night on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m., with LeMixx, What Up Funk and Anthem. $34 to $45. bijoutheatrect.spacecrafted.com.

Feb. 20: A jazz performance by The Colin Walters Quartet will be at Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St., from 3 to 4 p.m., as part of the Baby Grand Jazz series. hplct.org.

Feb. 1 to 24: WPKN Radio, 89.5 FM in Bridgeport, will highlight Black music in broadcasts. “Radio Base Camp,” on Tuesdays at 7 a.m. will focus on under-the-radar Black bands on Feb. 1, and on Black music from Africa on Feb. 8. “Snap, Crackle and Pop” will focus on Black orchestral music on Feb. 3. at 4 p.m. and on Feb. 4 at 2 a.m., will honor Black musicians. Emma Speer will explore Erykah Badu on Feb. 4 and 18 at 9 a.m. “Mikki’s Room” will celebrate Bob Marley and Dennis Brown on Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. “The Cool Blues and Records Show” will study the history of Black vocal groups on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. Jim Motavalli will rebroadcast an interview with Dom Flemons of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and jazz singer/playwright Allan Harris on Feb. 8 at 10 p.m. Motavilli will interview Calvin Hill, Bridgeport native and bassist for McCoy Tyner and Pharoah Sanders, on Feb. 22 at 9 p.m. “The Flux Capacitor” female musicians of color on Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. and will host a show of Black music on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. “Love and Communication” will feature Black and queer musicians on Feb. 18 at 11 p.m. On Feb. 21 at noon, the executive director of Bridgeport’s Mary & Eliza Freeman Center, Bernicestine McLeod Bailey, will be interviewed. wpkn.org.

Lectures, library events and conversations

All of February: Bloomfield Public Library has a monthlong series of virtual events about Black issues and art forms. Sign up at bplct.evanced.info/signup/calendar.

• “Black to the Future: Afrofuturism as a Creative Force” is Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m. An Afro Beat Workshop for kids is Feb. 4 from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.

• “Lessons from Apartheid: How Americans Can Join Across Racial Differences” with Manju Soni is Feb. 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

• A discussion of “The Street” by Ann Petry of Old Saybrook is Feb. 10 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

• A talk about “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler is Feb. 11 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

• A talk about fatherhood and men’s health by author Thomas DeVane is Feb. 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 2: “Critical Race Theory: What It Is and What It Isn’t” is a lecture by retired Connecticut Superior Court Judge Angela C. Robinson at 1 p.m. in the Adanti Student Center Ballroom at Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St. in New Haven. Free. calendar.southernct.edu.

Feb. 2: Hartford’s L.I.T. Global; Lit Artists, Writers & Publishers presents “Icon Stew: August Wilson, Lit Impact & the Stage” on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. on Facebook Live. Free. facebook.com/HartfordsLIT.

Feb. 12, 26 and 27: “Black Muslim Authors: Healing Through Black Narratives,” an online conference. Themes on Feb. 12 are “Faith and Feeling the Love,” “Brothers Panel Highlights” and “Black Muslim Poetic Narrative.” On Feb. 26, themes are “Self Publishing: Nuts and Bolts,” “Black Ink: Writing as Self-Care” and “Black Muslim Community: Narration and Representation.” On Feb. 27, themes are “Muslim Youth Storytelling” and “Muslim Authors Main Panel.” Free. facebook.com/AbtIslamNet.

Feb. 2, 9 and 16: “Only the Ball Was White: The Negro Leagues and Their Place in American History” is a talk series from 7 to 8:15 p.m., virtually on Zoom, presented by University of Hartford. President Emeritus Walter Harrison will discuss Negro League executives Rube Foster, Effa Manley, Cumberland Posey and Gus Greenlee. Free. hartford.edu/about/diversity-inclusion/mlk-observance.aspx.

Feb. 3: Silas Bronson Library in Waterbury will present actress Tammy Denease portraying Sarah Margu in a one-woman virtual show from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Margu was an Amistad captive as a child. The show is geared toward all ages. Free. To register, visit bronsonlibrary.org/kidprograms.

Feb. 3: Danbury Library will present storyteller Len Cabral for “Weaving Words Connecting Cultures,” a virtual show for teens, from 6 to 7 p.m. Free. To register, visit danburylibrary.evanced.info/signup.

Feb. 5, 12 and 19: Windsor Historical Society presents a three-part virtual program, “Seek and Ye Shall Find: Afro-American & Caribbean Genealogy with Sandra Taitt-Eaddy” from 2 to 3:30 p.m. $10 per session or $25 for all three. Sign up at windsorhistoricalsociety.org.

Feb. 8: “The Imperative of the Beloved Community,” with keynote speaker Yamiche Alcindor, at noon, virtually on Zoom. The event is presented by University of Hartford as part of its 2022 Annual MLK Observance. Free. hartford.edu.

Feb. 10: “An Upside-Down World: The Reign of Black Governors in Connecticut,” a discussion with historian Kerima Lewis, from 6 to 7 p.m., virtually, presented by New Haven Museum. Free. eventbrite.com.

Feb. 10: A Zoom historical talk, “Beyond the Amistad: Black History at the Connecticut Historical Society” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event is presented by Bridgeport Public Library. RSVP at https://bit.ly/3euLCMK for Zoom link. facebook.com/bridgeportpubliclibrary.

Feb. 15: “Race in America: From the Civil War to 21st Century America” will be presented virtually o 6 to 8 p.m. Howard Wright portrays Abraham Lincoln and Michael Crutcher portrays Frederick Douglass. The show will be moderated by CCSU history Prof. Matthew Warshauer. avonctlibrary.info.

Feb. 15: Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame presents a Zoom talk, “Connecticut’s African American Heroines” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Among women discussed are women’s rights advocate Maria Miller Stewart, singer Marian Anderson, journalist Adrianne Baughns-Wallace and former State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier. Free. Snow date is Feb. 22. RSVP at bristollib.com.

Feb. 16: West Hartford Library presents a virtual screening, Short Films About Black-Owned Businesses, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The businesses include Studio Sole sneaker consignment shop, Harriet’s Bookshop and Mosaic on a Stick art space in Minnesota. Free. Register at westhartford.librarymarket.com.

Feb. 17: “Let it Shine: The American Civil Rights Movement,” a 45-minute historical production, will be presented at 2 p.m. at Wood Memorial Library, 783 Main St. in South Windsor. $15, $5 students. woodmemoriallibrary.org.

Feb. 18: “Activism Through Action: Moving Beyond a Hashtag,” a talk with racial justice activist Zyahna Bryant from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m., virtually on Zoom, presented by University of Hartford as part of its 2022 Annual MLK Observance. Free. hartford.edu.

Feb. 21: “From Martin Luther King to Nelson Mandela: The Global Vocabulary of Black Liberation,” a talk by Dr. Garrey Michael Dennie from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m., virtually on Zoom, presented by University of Hartford as part of its 2022 Annual MLK Observance. Free. hartford.edu/about/diversity-inclusion/mlk-observance.aspx.

Feb. 23: Connecticut Historical Society offers a virtual presentation, “Black History at the CHS,” focusing on “a spectrum of the Black experience in Connecticut’ from 7 to 8 p.m. Free. Register at chs.org/event/blackhistory/.

Feb: 24: The Second Annual Celebration of local African American authors including London Williams, Shelby Davis and Chemay James at 5:30 p.m., virtually, presented by the Silas Bronson Library in Waterbury. Appropriate for all ages. Free. Register at bronsonlibrary.org.

Feb. 24: Connecticut Science Center will present a virtual Straight Talk, “The African Ancestry Identity Experience,” with Dr. Gina Paige, co-founder and president of African Ancestry, Inc., at 6 p.m. Admission is pay-as-you-wish, and those who want to participate free are welcome. shop.ctsciencecenter.org/73577.

Feb. 24: Kent Memorial Library in Suffield presents a Zoom book talk with Christine Pride and Joe Piazza at 7 p.m. Pride and Piazza are the authors of “We Are Not Like Them,” a novel about two women whose friendship is tested by racial unrest. Free. Register by emailing pshah@suffield-library.org.

Feb. 25: CT Forum and Connecticut Humanities present “The Fight for Racial Justice: Reckoning with and Dismantling Systemic Racism” at 7:30 p.m. at Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, 166 Capitol Ave. in Hartford. Panelists include writer-comedian-activist Baratunde Thurston, poet Cathy Park Hong and politician Julian Castro. $15 to $90. ctforum.org.

Feb. 27: Hartford’s L.I.T. and Hartford Public Library present “Hartford Reads in Color,” a virtual book talk on Zora Neale Hurston’s “You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays” at 2 p.m. Register at programs.hplct.org/events.

Misc

Feb. 3: Every Kinda Lady and When Women Speak will mark Black History Month with three free virtual writing workshops on Feb. 3, 10 and 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. For details, email Nzima Hutchings at everykindalady@gmail.com.

Feb. 12: Ujima African American Alliance will hold a Black History Fundraiser, to raise money for a Juneteenth event, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Enfield Public Library, 104 Middle Road. The event will feature authors Frederick Douglass Knowles III, Laresse Harvey and Trinene Davis. Admission is free. Donations are welcome, and 10% of proceeds will buy Black literature for the library. Details on Ujima African American Alliance’s Facebook page.

Feb. 15: Black History Art Club: Black Lives Matter from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. virtually. The club is geared toward ages 6 to 12, who learn about art created for the Black Lives Matter movement and create their own Black Lives Matter art to be displayed at the downtown branch of Hartford Public Library. hplct.org/events.

Feb. 27: Arts Council of Greater New Haven will present the 48th annual Connecticut People’s World Committee’s arts and writing competition for students grades 8 to 12 on Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. The theme is “Teaching Black History – Making Good Trouble.” Winners will be announced at the virtual event, and all participants will be acknowledged. facebook.com/artscouncilofgreaternewhaven/.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.