Cleveland Museum of Art Tours
Every Saturday in February, the Cleveland Museum of Art offers free, guided tours of the museum’s most renowned artworks created by Black artists. Explore the expansive collection of new and longtime-favorite pieces, and learn about African American heritage along the way. Reservations are required prior to joining a tour. Free. 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, Feb. 3-24, 2:30-3:30 p.m., clevelandart.org
Cozad-Bates House
Located in University Circle, this is the last-standing home in the area from before the Civil War. Transformed into an interpretive center with a variety of exhibits, this home preserves the charm of 1800s architecture while providing art and educational programming that traces the history of slavery and highlights local freedom seekers. The center is open to the public every Saturday and also available for private tours. Free. 11508 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, open year-round, noon-4 p.m., universitycircle.org/cozadbateshouse
African American Cultural Gardens
Take advantage of a sunny day this February by visiting the African Cultural Garden, one of the 34 gardens onsite at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. Dedicated in 1977 and undergoing recent renovations in 2022, this garden boasts unique architecture that tells a story, including a “Door of No Return” that signifies an exodus from Africa, tranquil water features to visualize the trail from slavery to freedom, and a North Star plastered at the focal point, to honor Ohio’s own history with the Underground Railroad and the Great Migration. Also among these features are a plethora of trees and flowers, including the resilient magnolia. Free, 890 Martin Luther King Jr Dr., Cleveland, clevelandculturalgardens.org
Baseball Heritage Museum
See Black history through the lens of sports at the Baseball Heritage Museum. Offering tours of exhibits that highlight African American, Caribbean and Latin trailblazers in Cleveland baseball, the museum’s mission is to promote the diverse heritage that paved the way for the sport as we know it today in the city. Through art and educational programming, under-appreciated stories of triumph come to life in the Hough neighborhood. $10, 6601 Lexington Ave., Cleveland, Thurs.-Sun., 9 a.m.-3 p.m., baseballheritagemuseum.org
Support Black-Owned Restaurants
Sink your teeth into some of our favorite spots around town to grab a bite to eat. Cleveland’s diverse selection of Black-owned restaurants offers up plenty of plates, including Caribbean, Jamaican, Ethiopian cuisines and beyond, and includes sweets like milkshakes, smoothies and doughnuts. clevelandmagazine.com
Cleveland State University Exhibit
The departments of Africana Studies and Humanities at Cleveland State University present an exhibition that recounts the nation’s fight for civil rights, in tandem with how this same fight transpired in Cleveland and at the university. For the duration of Black History Month, students, faculty and city goers alike can breeze through 60 years of people, places, and events that have shaped both the student body at CSU and the entirety of African American heritage and culture. Free, 1899 East 22nd St., Cleveland, Mon-Fri, 7 a.m.-10 p.m., csuohio.edu/africanastudies
Blax Museum
Created and presented by local writer and educator, Michelle R. Smith, Blax Museum is a showcase for Black history through music, art, spoken poetry, comedy and other presentations. Every February, Black artists from across Northeast Ohio come together to bring culture to life, honoring notable figures of the past, present and future through performance. Free, various times and locations, Feb. 13, 17, 23, blaxmuseum.com
Reading & Riesling Book Club
Been itching for a new book to read? Try Sula, among a wealth of iconic Black literature on the market. Written by Ohio’s own Toni Morrison, the story follows two girls growing up together, then apart, in the fictitious city of Medallion, Ohio. Then, you can join the Reading & Riesling Book Club for a laid-back, informative discussion of the book in light of Black History Month. Community-led and open to anyone, this drop-in book club encourages readers to complete as much of the book as they can and come to the club ready to ask questions, join discussions and most importantly, have fun. Free, donations suggested, 18615 Harvard Ave., Cleveland, Feb. 24, 1 p.m., eventbrite.com
Visit Elizabeth’s Bookshop
This Black-owned indie bookstore in Akron strives to sell and support literature that isn’t typically curated in commercial settings, especially the work of Black, indigenous, and queer folks. Elizabeth’s Bookshop also doubles as a writing center that hosts monthly workshops and readings. Throughout Black History Month, the store’s expansive collection of literature will be available to purchase, culminating with a book fair that will spotlight local Black-owned businesses. A portion of profits earned by the shop goes to The Loveland Foundation, an organization providing therapy to Black women, girls and nonbinary individuals. Free, 647 E. Market St., Akron, Feb. 24, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., elizabethsofakronshop.com
Cleveland Public Library
From film screenings, to crafts, poetry readings and presentations, the Cleveland Public Library is ringing in many ways to celebrate Black history. Before the month ends, put all your knowledge to the test with Black history trivia, hosted by the library’s Garden Valley branch. Join friends and neighbors for music, fun, and opportunities to learn and share stories. Free, various locations and times, cpl.com
Chocolate City Cleveland
Available completely online, Chocolate City Cleveland is a site featuring an interactive map that lets you journey through the history of the East 105th neighborhood, which has been proven integral in shaping Black communities and Black culture in the city. Providing street names, viewers are encouraged to walk the map’s trail while embarking on the tour, but audiovisual aids make this experience just as informative from the comfort of home. Through timelines, quick readings, videos, photos and playlists, users can tour through sights, sounds, and places that have shaped East Cleveland and its diversity. The goal of this project is to rewire the ways Black culture in Cleveland is stigmatized and stereotyped, and bring more attention to these communities of protagonists and trailblazers. chocolatecities.org
The Breakfast at the Bookstore
Now through Feb. 18, watch Black history come to life through performing arts at Karamu House, the oldest producing African American theater in the country. Telling a story of revolution and perseverance through police brutality and the fight for civil rights, the play follows Dot, who wants to open a bookstore to support the Black liberation movement through knowledge and education, rather than violence. A moving display, it’s one you won’t want to miss. $35-$45, 1501 Dodge Ct., Cleveland, Through Feb. 18, karamuhouse.com
For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.
