Here’s a sampling of Black History Month programs in the capital city.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Alderman Shawn Gregory, are offering creative hike and bike tours. Put on your hiking shoes and join a guide for a 90-minute hike around Oak Ridge Cemetery. Learn about the history of Springfield’s Black community, including tragedies and success stories in the face of prejudice and adversity. Hikes depart from the Lincoln Tomb parking lot at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays in February.
Bring your own bicycle and follow a guide on an easy-paced tour of Springfield’s historic sites on Feb. 21 and 26. The Lincoln Home, the Dana-Thomas House, and Springfield’s first Black firehouse are some of the places featured. Enjoy a hot cocoa break at the Route History Museum, sponsored by the Springfield Bicycle Club. The five-mile, two-hour, round-trip bicycle ride departs from the Dana-Thomas House parking lot at 1 p.m. Tours are free; reserve your spot at historicspringfield.dnr.illinois.gov.
Kidzeum is hosting a free Community Appreciation Weekend Feb. 12 and 13. Join Ward 5 Alderwoman Lakeisha Purchase at noon on Feb. 12 for a special children’s storytime and Illinois State Senator Doris Turner at noon on Feb. 19.
Adults and teens are invited to join the Illinois State Museum in an online book club discussion of Ida B. the Queen on Feb. 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Celebrate the legacy of Ida B. Wells – journalist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader. Registration is required for the Zoom program https://bit.ly/IdaBookClub.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will debut its new “For the People” Speaker Series on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. Tamika Nunley will discuss her book, At the Threshold of Liberty: Women, Slavery, and Shifting Identities in Washington, D.C. She reveals how enslaved, fugitive, and free women imagined new identities and unrestricted lives. Admission is free; reservations are required https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/ALPLMSpecialEvents/2469/event/1258045.
This article appears in 2022 Wedding Issue.
