Gaithersburg, MD -- The City of Gaithersburg celebrates and honors Black History Month with educational programs, exhibits and an official proclamation. Explore all programs and events here.

Celebrated annually in the United States during the month of February, Black History Month was started in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. He sought to bring national attention to the important contributions African Americans made to the history of the United States. Woodson chose February because it includes the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes and Abraham Lincoln.

An official proclamation designating February 2023 as “Black History Month” in the City of Gaithersburg will be presented at the February 6 Mayor and City Council meeting. The public is welcome to attend the meeting at City Hall, watch it live on YouTube or watch it via Zoom by registering here.

Accepting the proclamation is Zainab Abbas, a Gaithersburg resident and founder of SciTech2U Inc., a nonprofit that provides underrepresented K-12 students access to quality, innovative STEAM education. Learn more about Abbas and SciTech2U here.

Black History Displays:

“Did You Know or Were You Told: Remembering Then and Now”

“The Creative Mind”

Activity Center at Bohrer Park

February 1 – 28

Free

Remember then and now! Take the journey from past to present as this exhibit spotlights Black contributions and achievements in American History. The display is sponsored by the Multicultural Affairs Committee to educate and enlighten the community.  

Also on display is “The Creative Mind,” a traveling exhibit from the National Academy of Sciences that celebrates the contributions of African Americans to medicine, mathematics, engineering, and all branches of science. The exhibit features the careers and achievements of some of today’s outstanding black scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and medical professionals and highlights the work of notable figures from the past. A “Did You Know?” section brings in additional information about each field, pointing to future career possibilities for creative minds of the next generation.

Uncloaked 2

Monday, February 6, 12:30 p.m.

Benjamin Gaither Center

In-person and virtual (Zoom information available on registration receipt)

Free. Register online here.

Uncloaked 2 is a documentary that explores the continued peril America faces from institutionalized racism while challenging some of our most basic assumptions about race in America. Filmmaker Robert Williams debunks the most widely accepted myths regarding slavery, segregation, classism, and racial politics in this sequel to 2022's Uncloaked. The documentary will be followed by a Director's Q&A discussion.

Tasty Books: Black Is a Rainbow Color

Saturday, February 11, 10:30 - Noon

Casey Community Center

$5, Register online here.

Explore the tasty and adventurous world of food and books using all five senses. Stories come to life as they are read aloud and explored with hands-on crafts and snack making. Join us as we read Black Is a Rainbow Color, written by debut author Angela Joy and illustrated by Caldecott Honoree and Coretta Scott King Award winner Ekua Holmes. Explore what being black means through the eyes of a child, and learn about all the different ways she sees what being black is to her.

Drop-In Days at the Museum: Explore the Art of Alma Thomas
Saturday and Sunday, February 11 & 12
11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Gaithersburg Community Museum
Free. No registration.

Explore the art of local artist Alma Thomas for Black History Month.

Gaithersburg History Project - Black Gaithersburg: Women’s Voices
Wednesday, March 8, 1 p.m.
Virtual
Free. Register here.

Learn about the lives of women in Gaithersburg’s Black community. Historian Anthony Cohen of the Menare Foundation will share some of his research from the Gaithersburg History Project: Black Gaithersburg on the lives of women in the community, including home life, work life, and the organizations they created.