It’s going to be difficult to find something that won’t intrigue, educate or entertain you this Black History Month.
Here are some of our top picks to check out.
Selma Is Now
Troops attack protesters as part of the “Selma Is Now: The Photography of Spider Martin” exhibit.
(Spider Martin)
Perhaps the most powerful exhibit for the month would be Selma Is Now: The Photography of Spider Martin, at Broward County’s African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) in Fort Lauderdale.
The exhibit presents newly restored images from the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights marches. Photographer James “Spider” Martin’s striking images exposed the brutal reality faced by peaceful protesters and helped galvanize public support for the Voting Rights Act.
Civil rights activists meet resistance as part of the “Selma Is Now: The Photography of Spider Martin” exhibit.
(Spider Martin)
Dr. Tameka Bradley Hobbs, library regional manager of Broward County Library’s African American Research Library and Cultural Center, said she was amazed by the photos.
“I’ve been a professor of history, African American history, civil rights history, for many years, and I have to say that these images, the quantity of them — many of them I’ve never seen before — the detail in them, just transport you to that moment in history and the brutality that was exercised against these nonviolent protesters as they simply sought the right to vote,” Hobbs said.
Civil rights activists protest at the capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama, as part of the “Selma Is Now: The Photography of Spider Martin” exhibit.
(Spider Martin)
“It really is a time capsule. It’s a really important period of our history to remember all of the sacrifices that went into making our society what it is today. And that’s what I’m hoping that people will really appreciate when they come out to take a look at this.”
The exhibition is presented in partnership with Broward Cultural Division and will be on display at AARLCC from Jan. 31 through June 27, 2026.
Troops observe civil rights marchers as part of the “Selma Is Now: The Photography of Spider Martin” exhibit.
(Spider Martin)
AARLCC is located at 2650 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, and all exhibition programming is free and open to the public.
In conjunction with the photo exhibit, Selma: Legacy, Lens, and Liberation will feature art advocate Doug McCraw and award-winning equity strategist and activist Chevara Orrin discussing the enduring impact of Martin’s photographs. That event takes place Saturday, Jan. 31 from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Adrienne Arsht Center
The Arsht Center’s Heritage Fest will be family-friendly.
(Alex Markow)
The Adrienne Arsht Center is presenting a big lineup of events for Black History Month, including its 7th Annual Heritage Fest. The celebration will kick off with family fun in the afternoon and end with an 18+ Juke Joint that evening. This event will be a combination of indoor and outdoor activities across the Arsht campus. Visitors will enjoy live music and a selection of food vendors.
Expect a lot of dancing at the Arsht Center’s Heritage Fest.
(Alex Markow)
Heritage Fest takes place Feb. 7 at 12:30 p.m. at the Adrienne Arsht Center. The event is a day of free activities for all ages.
Take a trip through Miami’s history
From Red Lines to Repair: A Miami History and Equity Tour is a guided bus tour that examines how red lining, segregation and policy decisions shaped Miami’s historic Black neighborhoods and continue to influence equity today.
Roni Bennett, co-founder and executive director of South Florida People of Color (SFPoC), sees the tour as a history of progress in equity.
South Florida People of Color co-founder Roni Bennett.
(Courtesy of South Florida People of Color)
“This isn’t just a tour, it’s a reckoning in a love letter to these Black communities,” Bennett said. “What we’re doing is we’re tracing the through-line from the 1930s federal housing maps that literally drew red lines around Black neighborhoods to the displacement, the disinvestment and the resilience we see today.”
Bennett was surprised by the reaction from the public when the tour was announced: it sold out.
“We’ve gotten an overwhelming response to this. When we started advertising it, it sold out in one hour,” Bennett said. “I was kind of surprised. I’m like, people really want to see this. And then I got a substantial wait list.”
The itinerary includes guided visits to key historic and cultural sites, including the Black Police Precinct and Courthouse Museum, Greater Bethel AME Church, the Historic Hampton House, Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery, and Overtown landmarks such as the Lyric Theater and Longshoremen mural.
Though sold out, there is a waiting list, and future tours are planned.
The tour takes place Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and begins at Dunn’s Overtown Farm & Market.
For cinephiles
South Florida People of Color and Barry University are presenting a screening of “Miami Kingpins: The Real Scarfaces.” The screening will include a conversation with the director and a community dialogue. The documentary uncovers the untold stories of Black Miami’s “kingpins” whose lives unfolded amid the racial violence, economic exclusion, and media stereotypes of 1980s–90s Miami.
Watch the screening in Miami Shores Thursday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. at Barry University, 11300 Northeast 2nd Ave. The event is free.
African American history will further be explored on screen at The Black History Film Festival. Now in its second year in Miami, the festival is part of a national network dedicated to presenting documentaries that explore Black history, culture and legacy. Screenings typically center on the lives and contributions of unsung African American figures, connecting historical storytelling with contemporary audiences.
Check it out Tuesday, Feb. 24 from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. at the Liberty Square Community Center, 6304 NW 14th Ave. Tickets are free.
For jazz lovers
Terence Blanchard will perform his iconic Malcolm X Jazz Suite.
(Courtesy of artist management)
An Evening with Samara Joy will feature the five-time Grammy winner, whose inspirations include Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Carmen McRae. Catch her on Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. in the Knight Concert Hall. Tickets range from $52.65 to $152.10.
Later in the month, NEA Jazz Master Terence Blanchard will perform his iconic Malcolm X Jazz Suite with his band, The E-Collective, and Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet. That’s on Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. in the Knight Concert Hall. Tickets again range from $52.65 to $152.10.
Black History Brunch and Awards
Presented by the Miami-Dade Alliance of Gospel Music Professionals, the 9th Annual Black History Brunch & Awards honors Black history, the faith community and leaders whose work has made a lasting impact across music, culture and civic life.
Amid brunch and live gospel music performances, awards will be presented to community leaders, artists and industry professionals.
The event takes place Feb. 14 at 9 a.m. at Florida Memorial University’s Albert E & Sadie B. Smith Conference Center, 15800 NW 42nd Ave. Tickets start at $55.
Catch a rising star
The NAACP Black History Talent Shows a community talent showcase that highlights creative expression and cultural pride while also serving as a fundraiser for the NAACP Youth Council.
Ebony Johnson, advisor for the Youth Council, is excited about the show.
The audience can expect “awesome entertainment and good vibes,” Johnson said. “Our youth will be showing their leadership and showing off that they put this together.”
She explained how the NAACP Youth Council plays an important role in helping youth learn to take charge.
“It’s about helping the community understand how to be advocates and leaders within their own community, and we use that as an opportunity to train our children on how to be leaders in that space, but we also give them the tools that they need in order to be leaders,” Johnson said.
She said that among the services it provides, the NAACP Youth Council helps students with their essays for college, “and we make sure that they understand financial aid, so that their transition out of high school can also be rewarding to them, and they know that they have the resources and that information in order to continue to thrive in that space.”
The talent show takes place in Miami Gardens on Monday, Feb 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Golf Miami 305, 19715 NW 37th Ave. in The Resource Room. Tickets start at $17.85.
Hughes celebrated
Bass-baritone Davóne Tines will pay tribute to Langston Hughes at The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex.
(New World Symphony)
Classic American poet Langston Hughes will be front and center at “I, Too, Sing America: Langston Hughes & Margaret Bonds.” Bass-baritone Davóne Tines pairs Langston Hughes’ words with the compositions of Margaret Bonds. Presented by New World Symphony, the concert offers a reflective examination of voice, identity and artistic collaboration.
Watch the show on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex, 819 NW 2nd Ave. Tickets for this performance are pay-what-you-wish, starting at $10.
A Night at The Sir John’s Knight Beat returns
Daniel Washington performs at the “Night at The Sir John’s Knight Beat.”
(Gregory Reed/Miami Times File Photo)
For those who loved — or missed — the event last year, residents are once again invited to take a walk into the past and spend A Night at The Sir John’s Knight Beat.
The evening will take audiences to a time when Sir John’s was a cornerstone of Miami’s Black cultural scene and a legendary stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit. The event promises to be a celebration of the sounds and spirit that defined an unforgettable era.
It takes place Feb. 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Marshall L. Davis African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, 6161 NW 22nd Ave. Tickets start at $28.52.