Penn Museum Highlights Black History with Online Programs

PHILADELPHIA — Throughout February, the Penn Museum celebrates Black History, as well as the diverse cultures of Africa, through its virtual programs. Open to everyone, most events are free. Here are 10 online events in February:

Tuesday, February 2 at 11:00 am ET: Global Voyagers-Expedition to Africa
This highly interactive virtual tour looks at the extraordinary cultures and the central role African civilizations have played in world history. Presented in partnership with the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration. FREE.

Wednesday, February 3 at 6:00 pm ET: Great Lecture Series
Slave Dwellings, Monuments, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy
Joseph McGill, Jr., a history consultant for the Magnolia Plantation in Charleston, S.C. and the founder of The Slave Dwelling Project, examines the ways buildings and monuments bolster white supremacy and privilege, especially when history has been revisionist. $5.

Thursday, February 4 at 6:30 pm ET: The Deep Dig—Africa and the World
In this four-part online evening class for adults, Dr. Tukufu Zuberi, curator of the Africa Galleries, discusses how people and key events in Africa have shaped the world today. Using clips from his documentary, African Independence, Dr. Zuberi shares powerful stories from areas of the African continent, from enslavement and colonization to the struggle for freedom and self-determination. $175.

Tuesday, February 9 at 1:00 pm ET: At-Home Anthro LIVE—Adinkra Symbols and Proverbs
At-Home Anthro LIVE sessions offer hands-on projects to try at home. Kids ages 5-12 can draw Adinkra symbols, which represent important messages for the peoples of Ghana, while learning more about their meanings and connections to stories and traditional beliefs. FREE.

Wednesday, February 10 at 6:00 pm ET: REVOLUTION with Black History Untold
Award-winning journalist and founder of Black History Untold Sofiya Ballin explores what it means to balance representation with stewardship through a short documentary followed by a discussion about the vitality of oral history. FREE.

Thursday, February 11 at 5:30 pm ET: Living Room Lecture
Rhythm Nation—West African Dance and the Politics of Diaspora
In an informal happy hour livestreamed on Facebook, Dr. Jasmine Johnson, an assistant professor of Africana Studies at Penn, focuses on the politics of Black movement during dance, diasporic travel, and gentrification. FREE.

Tuesday, February 16 at 5:30 pm ET: Museum Insider—Dejay Duckett, AAMP
In this informal virtual meet and greet, attendees learn more about museum jobs and the people who do them, such as Dejay Duckett, the Director of Curatorial Affairs at the African American Museum of Philadelphia. FREE.

Wednesday, February 17 at 4:00 pm ET:
World Wonders—Day in the Life of a Nairobi School Girl
Grace Ndicu guides families with children ages 5-12 through “a day in the life” in the city of Nairobi in East Africa, including the daily commute to school and time at a playground. FREE.

Wednesday, February 17 at 6:00 pm ET: Honoring Black Stories in White Institutions
The founder of Black History Untold, Sofiya Ballin, leads a panel discussion with representatives from the African American Museum, Philadelphia Contemporary, and other institutions about representation, stewardship, and making space for authentic Black stories beyond collections and exhibitions. FREE.

Sunday, February 28 at 4:30 pm ET: Jazz Combos—Multigenerational Music
Two local families talk about the nature of music-making and how the love of music gets passed down from generation to generation. Special guests include Penn music professor Dr. Guthrie Ramsey, singer-songwriter Bridget Ramsey, and Mike and Mekhi Boone, a father-and-son rhythm section who perform in many of Philadelphia’s jazz clubs.

In addition, February’s month-long CultureFest! will highlight important African cultural traditions, including Fêtes de Masque, one of West Africa’s most famous festivals which honors those who have passed away. The festival and its masks are a key part of the culture of Dogon, an ethnic group indigenous to the central plateau region of Mali. CultureFest! Fêtes de Masque will offer virtual tours of the Museum’s Africa Galleries, educational programs about the dances and masks from the Dogon culture, and more.

A complete line-up of virtual events at the Penn Museum can be found here.