Celebrate African American History in Atlanta

Roswell Roots Festival

There are so many ways to learn about the heritage and contributions of African Americans in Atlanta. Make sure to also check out places to road trip to learn about black history.

Call or check websites before visiting for COVID-19 safety precautions.

Events:

Moving Forward, Together – Black History Month Festival at Kennesaw State University

Join Kennesaw State University as they celebrate Black History Month with music and performances. Feb. 20-21 and 24-25.

Black History Month Celebration Programs in East Point

The City of East Point present Black History Month programs with the theme of “East Point’s Black Renaissance.” Feb. 21.

Black History Month Movie Series at Atlantic Station

African American History Month Celebration at The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History

See historical presentations and artifact displays for Black History Month. Feb. 25.

Black Heritage Festival at Shorty Howell Park Activity Building

Visit with merchants while you enjoy music and food celebrating African American history and culture. Feb. 25.

Roswell Roots Festival in Roswell

This month-long celebration honors African American culture and heritage in the Roswell community. Through Feb. 28.

Celebrate Black History Month at Children’s Museum of Atlanta

Stop by the Science Bar, Art Studio, Jane’s Innovation Station and the CMA Stage to learn more about African American leaders in science, art and innovation. Through Feb. 28.

Black History Month Murals at Brook Run Park

See large scale murals from local artists created to honor Black History Month. Through Feb. 28.

Virtual: Sit-In

This performance from Alliance Theatre was inspired by the book “Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down” and celebrates the power of youth to change history. Through May 31.

Atlanta History Center

Sites:

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park

Managed by the National Park Service, visit Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home, church and tomb to learn more about his life and legacy. The Fire Station No. 6 was built in 1894 and served the community until 1991. At the museum, hear about the desegregation of the Atlanta Fire Department and view a 1927 American LaFrance fire engine.

APEX Museum

Named for the “African-American Panoramic Experience,” this museum features exhibits, such as “Women in STEM,” “Africa: The Untold Story” and “Sweet Auburn Street of Pride.” View more than 6,000 years of the cultural history of Africa.

Center for Civil and Human Rights

This center connects the American Civil Rights Movement to today’s Global Human Rights Movements with images, artifacts and storytelling.

Atlanta History Center

Explore the history of Atlanta and Georgia with exhibits like “Gatheround: Stories of Atlanta” and “Turning Point: The American Civil War.” Online exhibits also showcase important history, such as “Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow,” which illustrates the African American struggle for full citizenship and racial equality that unfolded in the 50 years following the Civil War.

The King Center

Established by Coretta Scott King in 1968, The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change preserves Dr. King’s legacy, as you can view exhibits on him, Coretta Scott King and Mahatma Gandhi.

Atlanta University Center Historic District

This National Historic Landmark includes a group of the country’s major higher education institutions for African Americans: Atlanta University, Clark, Morehouse, Morris Brown and Spelman Colleges, and the Interdenominational Theological Center.

Noble Hill-Wheeler Memorial Center

Built in 1923, this was the first school in northwest Georgia constructed with Rosenwald funds for the education of Black children. The site is now a Black history museum and cultural center.

George Washington Carver State Park

In 1950, when the Allatoona Dam was completed in Cartersville, Governor Talmadge established the nearby 345-acre George Washington Carver Park, the first “Georgia State Park for Negroes.” Well-known entertainers, including Ray Charles and Little Richard, performed at the park.

The Herndon Home Museum

This museum was the residence of Alonzo Herndon, a former slave owner who founded what would become the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, and his legacy changed the Black middle class in America.

Clark Atlanta University Art Museum

The school began gathering art pieces in 1942, when exhibition opportunities for African American artists were limited due to segregation. Juried exhibitions have presented more than 900 artists from across the country, and related programs teach and stimulate interest in African American art.

South-View Cemetery

Founded in 1886 under the premise that a dignified burial place should be available for all, these grounds carried no restriction as to race, creed or religious affiliation, which was different from other Southern cemeteries operating during the same period.

The Madame C.J. Walker Museum

Learn about America’s first female self-made millionaire, and hear stories about WERD, the first Black-owned radio station in America.

Flat Rock Archives

Located in Stonecrest, this African American historical museum includes the 20th century Georgian cottage of Rev. T.A. Bryant and the Historic Flat Rock Cemetery with burials dating back to enslaved people.

Oakland Cemetery

In 1976, Oakland Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cemetery has several different areas and gardens, including the Historic African American Burial Grounds, which were the burial grounds for slaves and free African Americans. The cemetery is also the final resting place for Bishop Wesley John Gaines, who founded Morris Brown College; Rev. Frank Quarles, the founder of the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary; and Carrie Steele Logan, who founded the first orphanage for African Americans in Atlanta.

Dorchester Academy

Beyond Atlanta

If you’re interested in traveling and spending more time learning about Black history and the Civil Rights Movement, travel around Georgia to see significant spots.

The National Park Service created a national We Shall Overcome travel itinerary with churches, private residences and public sites of protest that spoke to the history. Check out Georgia’s three spots and learn more about the African American Civil Rights Movement.

Explore important destinations and sites in Georgia, along with the history and stories, at civilrightstrail.com/state/georgia.

In Savannah, the Pin Point Heritage Museum allows you to experience the Gullah/Geechee culture firsthand with a refurbished museum complex, multimedia presentations and beautiful views of the marsh.

Also in Savannah, the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum showcases the life story of Ralph Mark Gilbert, who is remembered as the father of the 20th century Civil Rights Movement in Savannah. You’ll also learn about the NAACP’s fight for voting rights.

Explore the Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery, where many of Athens’ prominent African Americans were laid to rest.

The Ma Rainey Home honors the legendary “Mother of Blues” Ma Rainey, and this is the spot where she retired.

Founded in 1882 by trustees from the Methodist Episcopal Church South and the Colored  Methodist Episcopal Church in America, Paine College was coeducational from the beginning with its goal of educating African American youth.

Dorchester Academy was founded in 1871 as a school for freed slaves and now serves as an African American history museum and community center.

The Tubman African American Museum is dedicated to educating people about the art, history and culture of African Americans to enrich cultural understanding and inspire positive change.

Head to Warner Robins to the Museum of Aviation to view the statue of Eugene Bullard, who  enlisted in the French Foreign Legion before the U.S. Armed Forces were desegregated in 1948.

For more, connect art and Black history with murals across metro Atlanta. Explore areas across the Southeast that are significant to Black history.

Past events:

Black Church Music: A Soul-Stirring History at DeKalb History Center

Gospel singer Crissy Collins and her accompanist will show off powerful spiritual and gospel legends, and learn about how Black church music has changed Georgia. Feb. 9.

Bus Tour: Black History at Lawrenceville Female Seminary

Tour Gwinnett’s rich African American historic landmarks. Feb. 11.

Atlanta Black Expo at Cobb Galleria Centre

Support Black-owned businesses with this expo experience featuring more than 100 Black-owned exhibitors. Feb. 11.

Blackout Market & Open-Mic Night at Lawrenceville Arts Center

This second annual event celebrates culture, creativity and commerce from local performers and artists and Black-owned businesses. Feb. 17.

Descendants Ascending: Exhibit in Honor of Black History Month at Douglasville Cultural Arts Center

This exhibit celebrates heritage, history, female empowerment and stories with paint, printmaking, textiles and more. Through Feb. 17.

Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia: Annual Historical Black Portraits Storytelling Concert at Southwest Arts Center