The Kimmel Cultural Campus Celebrates Black History Month With An Array Of Digital Programs

The Kimmel Cultural Campus celebrates the accomplishments, heritage, and artistic contributions of African Americans through a variety of digital Black History Month programs throughout the month of February. Digital events shine a spotlight on the music of the Civil Rights Movement as well as modern-day struggles for equality, the cultural enlightenment of the Harlem Renaissance, and offer audiences of all ages a "Hip Hop Recess" that moves the body while offering morsels of history about Hip Hop, the dynamic dance form from the 1970s.

"Our stages have already missed so much this year, from legendary local artists and ensembles like Philadanco to our annual Holiday celebration, A Soulful Christmas, to appearances by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. We hope the fall brings a return of these important artists to our stages," says Anne Ewers, Kimmel Center's President & CEO. "We are thrilled, however, that technology and wonderful partnerships allow us to continue our tradition of robust Black History Month offerings, welcoming thousands of schoolchildren to our now virtual, free educational outreach Jazz4Freedoma??program. We are also honored to punctuate these current turbulent times with the raw beauty of Nina Simone's music, and we are proud to champion local artists at a time when opportunities are so limited."

The Kimmel Cultural Campus will also feature inspirational quotes from African American artists and cultural leaders on its social media channels. The quotes have become the Kimmel's most popular and shared posts in recent years. This year, because of the pandemic, we will feature a refreshed version of quotes from previous years with updated information on what the artists have been doing during COVID19. Among the featured artists are Philadanco's Joan Myers Brown, R&B legend Patti LaBelle, Jazz great Wynton Marsalis, and Opera tenor Lawrence Brownlee.

Additionally, the Kimmel curated playlists on our Spotify music channel have been a huge hit. Be sure to check out our special Black History Month Playlist celebrating generations of African American artists and musicians.

Here is a complete lineup of the digital performances being highlighted by the Kimmel Cultural Campus. These events are streaming on various platforms. For more detailed information go to www.kimmelcenter.org.