Brooklyn Historical Society celebrates Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) has compiled a robust programming lineup that includes a discussion with an award-winning historian, a free screening of Diana Paragas’ and Nelson George’s 2011 documentary “Brooklyn Boheme” every Sunday in February, a conversation with a celebrated rapper and a special Hidden Brooklyn program featuring an African-American art collection.
BHS also concludes its series of screenings and discussions around PBS’s Peabody Award-winning special “The African-Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates Jr.,” with an appearance by acclaimed journalist and writer Jelani Cobb.
In addition to programming, BHS is presenting “Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations,” an oral history project that reveals the history and experiences of Brooklyn’s mixed-heritage people and families. The project provides public access to a wealth of stories, scholarship and resources, including more than 100 oral histories, a public program series, an interactive website (www.cbbg.brooklynhistory.org) and a school curriculum, to be released in February.
Programming kicks off early with a visit Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner. On Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m., Foner will discuss his new book, “Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad,” an exploration of the little-known antislavery figures whose resistance helped usher more than 3,000 fugitive slaves to freedom between 1830 and 1860. General admission is $10 and $5 for BHS and Green-Wood members.
Editor’s Note: The Eric Foner visit has been postponed to Tuesday Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. because of the snow.
All programs are open to the public and take place at BHS, 128 Pierrepont St. in Brooklyn Heights, unless otherwise noted. A full schedule of events and information on tickets and registration for public programs can be found at www.brooklynhistory.org.