10 Things To Do To Honor & Celebrate Black History Month In Atlanta

Atlanta always has amazing events, activities, celebrations and more for Black History Month! From truly moving art exhibitions to delicious meals from Black-owned restaurants, there is so much Black excellence, joy, and history in Atlanta to honor and celebrate!

To help you out, we’ve come up with a list of 10 amazing things to do in Atlanta for Black History Month this February! 

For an extremely comprehensive understanding of Black history, make sure to visit the APEX Museum this February. Located in the historic Auburn Avenue area of Atlanta, this museum connects the world with incredible pieces of Black American history.

APEX stands for “African American Panoramic Experience.” The APEX museum was founded in 1978 by veteran filmmaker Dan Moore Sr., and, according to their website, “interpret[s] and present[s] history from an African American perspective to help all Americans and international visitors better understand and appreciate the contributions of African Americans to America and the world.”

The APEX Museum has a large collection of permanent and rotating exhibits, and is currently the only museum in Atlanta dedicated solely to the “rich and often untold story of people of the African Diaspora.”

Check out more information on this Downtown gem.

The Candlelight concert series is honoring Black History Month with a lovely candlelit evening enjoying Black-made music. Atlanta is home to some of the most important Black artists and musicians, and you can hear their music while surrounded by thousands of dazzling candles.

Check out all the details here!

3. Visit the National Center for Civil & Human Rights

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum dedicated to the achievements of the civil rights movement. They always host incredible programming over Black History Month. Explore exhibitions dedicated to Atlanta’s influential role in the Civil Rights Movement, and beyond.

One amazing event they’re hosting this year is a screening of the untold stories of racism at NASA during ‘Space Race Film Screening.’ The film screening will be February 24th from 2pm-5pm.

To check out their other Black History events, you can head to The Center’s website!

4. Learn more about the greatest of all time from the genre at Atlanta’s Trap Music Museum

Learn about the art behind the music at the Trap Music Museum. Created by superstar rapper T.I., this immersive museum became the first hip-hop museum ever to celebrate the reality of southern-based trap music. It pays homage to other rap legends like 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj and more!

With fun events like Escape rooms, “sip and trap” happy hours and tours of exhibits about the iconic hip-hop music industry, the Trap Museum’s got it all!

For more information, head to their website!

5. Celebrate Black History at the Roswell Roots Festival of Black History and Culture!

This incredible annual arts & culture festival is taking over Roswell for Black History Month! Roswell Roots will be hosting art exhibitions, poetry slams, seminars, and more. You can enjoy music, Gullah folklore, and both incredible stories of Black joy and deeply moving stories of Black struggles and oppression, and the strength of the Black community.

To get the full lineup of the Roswell Roots festival, check out their website!

Black History Month is a great time to support Black-owned businesses in Atlanta!

Whether you’re looking for a delicious brunch, a scrumptious southern-style food or even mouth-watering vegan food, there’s something for everyone at these Black-owned restaurants!

Check out our round-up of incredible Black-owned restaurants in the ATL!

While we’re on the topic of Black-owned businesses, you can do so much more than eat out to support Black-owned businesses across the ATL! From spas, to grocery stores, to anything else you can think of, it’s always good to check to see if there’s a Black-owned business to support for all your needs!

Click here for a full round-up of amazing Black-owned businesses in Atlanta!

8. Delve into these awe-inspiring arts exhibits over Black History Month

There’s always an awesome mix of art exhibitions taking over our adored galleries scattered across the ATL. Here’s what we recommend checking out this month:

The High Museum of Art’s new exhibit –  “Hear Me Now: The Black Potters of Old Edgefield, South Carolina” 

ZuCot Gallery – “The Gift” Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop Culture

Spellman College Museum of Fine Art – “Threaded” Textile Works by Contemporary Black Women Artists

9. Celebrate Black History at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta

Celebrate Black History Month with your kiddos at Children’s Museum of Atlanta! Head to the iconic CMA Science Bar, Art Studio, Jane’s Innovation Station and the CMA Stage to learn all about African American leaders in science, art, and innovation! The Museum is hosting interactive story-times, hands-on activities, and exciting experiments all month long!

Some of the activities include:

• “Jane’s Innovation Station: Space Landers” – The Museum writes, “1…2…3…LIFT OFF! At Jane’s Innovation Station, learn about stability and shock absorption as you create landers that will safely deposit aliens on their home planet. Use the principles of engineering as we celebrate Black astronauts such as Michael Anderson, Yvonne Darlene Cagle, and Mae C. Jemison this Black History Month!”
• “Story Time: Dream Big, Little One” – The Museum writes, “Continue the Black History Month festivities and celebrate legendary black women from throughout history in this cute, inspiring book recounting their names and achievements, Dream Big, Little One! written by Vashti Harrison.”

For more Black History Month activities, check out the Children’s Museum’s website!

Atlanta is an epicenter for the Civil Rights Movement which is inspiringly evident, even after a short walk around our city. Check out a couple of recommendations below, or check out our self-guided tour of Atlanta’s rich Black history to see some of the amazing landmarks in our city honoring Black History.

• Martin Luther King, Jr National Park – Walk around where King was born and raised and appreciate the incredible monuments and plaques in his honor.
• Auburn Avenue – If you visit the MLK National Park, stop by the heart of Black enterprise and the civil rights movement, featuring Ebenezer Baptist Church & Atlanta Daily World, the first black daily newspaper ever published.
• Morehouse College – Morehouse is the only all-male Black college in the United States, founded back in 1867.

There are so many things to do in Atlanta to celebrate and honor Black history!