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https://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/news/celebrate-black-history-month-things-see-and-do
02/24/2025 4:18 pm
Parks and Recreation
News Published 1/30/2025 Updated 2/24/2025
This upcoming February, check out the programs, exhibits, and historic landmarks the city has to offer that honor the contributions and history of African Americans in Raleigh, most of which are free and a few are even available year-round.
Starting Saturday, Feb. 1, Various Events, Cost: Free
John Chavis Memorial Park, 505 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27601
John Chavis Memorial Park honors the achievements, history, and heritage of African American trailblazers. In honor of Black History Month, JCMP will host a series of events that celebrate the legacy of the African American Experience. All events are at no cost.
Saturday, Feb. 1 – Friday, Feb. 28
The Chapel at Dix Park, 1030 Richardson Drive, Raleigh, NC 27603
Dix Park in partnership with Raleigh Film and Art Festival presents a curated Black History Month artist exhibition showcasing the best talent of 2025 from across the state. A riveting month-long display of visual art representing the experience of people of color living in the South. Enjoy an array of spectacular pieces by professional and student artists.
Tuesday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sundays, 1 – 4 p.m.
Ages: All
Pope House Museum, 511 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
We are excited to welcome visitors for tours! In honor of Black History Month, the Dr. M.T. Pope House Museum offers both self-guided and guided tours six days a week.
Various Saturdays
10 a.m. – noon
Age: Adult
Cost: Free
John P. “Top” Green Community Center, 401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27601
Led by Tanya Foreman of Family Matters Genealogy, these classes offer a hands-on introduction to tracing your ancestry and preserving your family’s legacy.
Fridays in February
11 a.m. – noon
Age: All
Cost: Free
John P. “Top” Green Community Center, 401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27601
Held onsite every Friday morning, the program offers complimentary coffee, donuts, and engaging discussions centered around “Centuries in the Making,” a featured exhibit showcasing the history of East Raleigh-South Park. Visitors can explore photographs, artifacts, and personal stories that highlight the neighborhood’s enduring contributions to Raleigh’s cultural and civic identity.
Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, March 2
1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: $15
Mordecai Historic Park, 1 Mimosa St., Raleigh, NC 27604
Join the Historic Raleigh Trolley for this special edition of our popular Black history tour highlighting Oberlin Village. Tours will begin at Mordecai Historic Park and travel to Oberlin, where passengers will disembark for a tour of the Historic Turner House and Oberlin Cemetery and learn about the neighborhood’s history of community and freedom.
Saturday, Feb. 15
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Age: All
City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
Come experience the incredible talent of local Black artists and discover how their work is deeply shaped by Black history and culture. This is a unique opportunity to engage with powerful art that tells stories of resilience, identity, and heritage. Don’t miss out on this inspiring event—admission is completely free!
Rescheduled to Thursday, Feb. 27Thursday, Feb. 20
noon – 1 p.m.
Ages: All
City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
Wanda Cox-Bailey, a retired librarian and president of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Triangle Chapter, is dedicated to preserving the memories and oral histories of the Southeast community.
Rescheduled to Friday, March 7Thursday, Feb. 20
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Ages: 55 and older
John P. “Top” Greene Community Center, 401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27601
This thoughtfully curated event will connect seniors with essential resources, valuable information, and opportunities focused on health, wellness, and technology.
Saturday, Feb. 22
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Age: 15 and up
City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville Street Raleigh, NC 27601
For Black History Month the Dr. M.T. Pope House and City of Raleigh Museum will be focusing on African American Emancipation through education, business ownership, and civic engagement, with academic presentations and music. This program is supported in part by North Carolina Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, www.nchumanities.org
Tuesday, Feb. 25
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Age: 3-5
Cost: $8
Pullen Community Center, 408 Ashe Ave, Raleigh, NC, 27606
Join us as we celebrate Black History Month! This program will be all about learning and sharing. Each participant registered will be given the name of an important person from history. On the day of the program, you will bring in a picture or some fun facts to share with others. We will also make a craft and read a story. Pre-registration is required so we can plan accordingly.
Friday, Feb. 28
6 – 7 p.m.
Age: All Ages
Cost: Free
John P. “Top” Greene Community Center, 401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, NC, 27601
Superheroes come in all hues and have incredible abilities! Join Grady Bussey, an African American historian and the Vice Chair of the Friends of the City of Raleigh Museum, for a discussion on the history of African American superheroes in comics and films. Learn the history of African American comic book superheroes from then and now. Participants are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite superhero!
Tuesdays – Saturdays and Sundays
11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and 1 p.m.–4 p.m.
Cost: Free
John P. “Top” Green Community Center, 401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27601
A cultural exhibit “Centuries in the Making: A Cultural Legacy of South Park and East Raleigh Neighborhoods” in Historic South Park is now open! In partnership with the South Park East Raleigh Neighborhood Association, this exhibit showcases the unique contributions African Americans made to the city. Some of the topics included in the exhibit are Raleigh’s Black Main Street, which details the history of East Hargett Street and how it became the epicenter of black-owned businesses. Also on display are the history of Raleigh’s historic Black schools, churches, and cemeteries.
Make sure to check back throughout the month as more events will be added.
The City owns parks, a cemetery, and other landmarks with significance to the African American community. Below are a few who have made it onto the local, state, and national registers of historic places.
505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27601
Under the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA), Chavis Park was created in 1937 to give black families access to similar recreational opportunities as white families. It attracted black families throughout North Carolina from the late 1930s to the late 1940s. The carousel was installed as one of the main attractions and is one of the few vintage carousels that remain in operation today. The park is named for John Chavis, a black Revolutionary War soldier, who went on to establish a school in Raleigh, where he taught white students by day and black students by night. He also became a Presbyterian minister in 1799. Read more about Chavis Park’s history.
401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27601
The center is named after Mr. John P. “Top” Greene, a community activist and South Park community resident. The center features historical exhibits and displays that interpret the history and culture of the South Park and East Raleigh neighborhoods.
1001 Parker Street, Raleigh, NC 27607
Rev. Morgan London Latta, a freed enslaved person and teacher, founded Latta University in 1892. At its peak, Latta was home to 26 buildings home and 1,400 students, including orphaned children of former enslaved people. The university operated for 30 years. The Latta residence was the only remaining structure on the site, but it was destroyed in a fire in 2007. The City recently completed a master plan for the park and is working on Phase I implementation. Read more about Latta House’s history.
120 Prospect Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27603
Mt. Hope, which was established in 1872, is one of the first municipal cemeteries for African Americans in North Carolina. Most sizeable towns in the state opened suburban cemeteries for whites in the post-Civil War era, but very few established municipal cemeteries for freed enslaved people. Several prominent residents are buried there including Rev. G.A. Mial, former enslaved person and educator Lucille M. Hunter, James E. Hamlin owner of Hamlin Drugstore, and Dr. Manassa T. Pope, the first black mayoral candidate in Raleigh. Read more about Mt. Hope’s history.
514 Method Road, Raleigh, NC 27607
The Pioneers Building was the old Agricultural Building of the Berry O’Kelly High School, the first fully accredited and largest rural high school in the state of North Carolina for African Americans. Read more about the Pioneers Building.
511 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
As the only African American house museum in the state of North Carolina, the Pope House offers a glimpse into the life of one of Raleigh’s most intriguing citizens, Dr. Manassa Thomas Pope, who was the only African-American man to run for mayor of a southern capital during the Jim Crow Era. Read more about Pope House’s history.
John Chavis Memorial Park
John P. “Top” Greene Community Center
Halifax Park
Green Road Park
City of Raleigh Museum
Pullen Park Community Center
Latta University Historic Park
Method Community Park
Pope House Museum
Mordecai Historic Park
Dec 10, 2024
Dec 30, 2024
Jan 31, 2025
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