February is Black History Month, and several programs at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh will highlight the experiences of African Americans in North Carolina. Join the African American History Tour to learn more, or see the movie “Glory,” focusing on Col. Robert Gould Shaw and the first African American Union regiment in the Civil War.
February also offers children’s programs about a variety of topics. During a special presentation, take part in the fun as folk stories come to life onstage during Jack Tales: Appalachian Adventures!
Take advantage of these and other programs in February at the Museum of History. Admission is free unless otherwise noted.Parking is free on weekends.
PROGRAMS
Time for Tots: Quilts
Tuesday, Feb. 5 and Feb. 12, 10-10:45 a.m.
Ages 3-5 with adult, $1 per person
See how quilters patch their work together, and create a quilt square of your own. Registration is required. Call 919-807-7992.
History Corner: World War II Wear
Wednesday, Feb. 6, 10-11 a.m.
Ages 6-9 with adult, $1 per person
How does war affect what people wear? Come find out! Registration required. Call 919-807-7992.
History Hunters: World War II Wear
Wednesday, Feb. 6, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Ages 10-13, $1 per person
How does war affect what people wear? Come find out! Registration is required. Call 919-807-7992.
African American History Tour
Saturday, Feb. 9 or 23, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Explore the lives and accomplishments of African American North Carolinians from the antebellum period to the Civil Rights era.
Jack Tales: Appalachian Adventures!
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2-3 p.m.
See folk stories come to life onstage and get involved in the fun! Travel the North Carolina mountains with Jack as he meets the Northwest Wind, plays cat and mouse, and outwits dangerous robbers! Hosted with Storytellers to Go! (Raleigh Little Theatre).
Music of the Carolinas: Jeff Warner
Sunday, Feb. 10, 3-4 p.m.
Among the nation’s foremost interpreters of traditional music, Warner grew up listening to the songs and stories of rural America. The program is presented with PineCone, with support from the North Carolina Museum of History Associates, Williams Mullen and WLHC-FM/WLQC-FM.
History à la Carte: What Happened to the Lost Colony?
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 12:10-1 p.m.
Hear about the society and politics of the Roanoke Indians and the English and discover why the Roanoke colony failed and what may have happened to the colonists. The program is made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Bring your lunch; beverages provided. Presented by Dr. David LaVere, North Carolina Humanities Council Road Scholar.
Hands-On History
Saturday, Feb. 16, 1-3 p.m. (DROP-IN PROGRAM)
Learn about African Americans who have called North Carolina home as you make a craft, jump a rope or hear a story!
Abraham Lincoln’s Legacy for Our Time
Saturday, Feb. 16, 10 a.m.
NOTE: This free lecture takes place at North Carolina State University as part of its History Weekend. For more information or to preregister for the lecture, go to historyncsu.edu/historyweekend. James McPherson, George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History Emeritus at Princeton University and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished Civil War scholar, will discuss how Pres. Lincoln’s leadership in the cause of Union and freedom not only invoked the ideals of liberty, democracy and nationalism inherited from the American Revolution, but it also redefined these ideals for the future. McPherson was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. His most recent books include Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief; This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War; and Abraham Lincoln.
At the Movies: Glory
Sunday, Feb. 17, 2-4:30 p.m.
Enjoy the 1989 film based on the true story of Col. Robert Gould Shaw and the first African American Union regiment in the Civil War. Susanna Lee, Associate Professor of History at North Carolina State University will introduce the movie and lead a discussion after the screening.
For more information about the N.C. Museum of History, call (919) 807-7900, access the museum’s website or connect with the museum on Facebook and Twitter. The N.C. Museum of History is a unit of N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. For more information on North Carolina arts, history and culture, visit Cultural Resources online.