The significance of Black history in Chicago has helped shape the city into a cultural and economic powerhouse. And there’s no better time to discover the fascinating details of this legacy than during the Black History Month celebration throughout the city. The Black History Month tradition was actually established in Chicago in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the “Father of Black History.”

Experience the city’s rich cultural offerings while honoring Black History Month in Chicago with exhibits performances, concerts, plays, tours, and events.

Museum and art exhibits

An exhibit during Black Creativity at Museum of Science and Industry Chicago
Black Creativity at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry Chicago

Visit Chicago’s acclaimed line-up of museums and discover thrilling displays that showcase the work of Black artists, innovators, and leaders.

  • Project A Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica: The Art Institute of Chicago hosts the first major showcase of the cultural manifestations of Pan-Africanism with a stunning collection of over 350 objects dating back to the 1920s through today, created by artists from four continents. The exhibit celebrates self-determination and global solidarity among people of African descent.
  • Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibit: This annual exhibit is the country’s longest-running display of African American art. The Griffin Museum of Science & Industry exhibit includes paintings, sculptures, mixed media, ceramics, photography, drawings, and fine art prints by African American artists, including teen and youth artists.
  • Theaster Gates: When Clouds Roll Away: Reflection and Restoration from the Johnson Archive: The glory and impact of the Johnson Publishing Company and its legendary magazines, Ebony and Jet, are reimagined in Theaster Gates’ architectural scale installation at the Stony Island Arts Bank. The exhibit will feature an active bar and lounge program, a music series, and writing commissions reflecting on the Johnson Archive.
  • Injustice: The Trial for the Murder of Emmett Till: The Chicago History Museum examines the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, the Black teen from Chicago whose brutal lynching and subsequent criminal trial helped spark the Civil Rights movement. The exhibit highlights photos of Till enjoying his life in Chicago and courtroom sketches of the trial.
  • Freedom: Origin and Journey: This immersive exhibit at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center takes visitors on a journey through the African American experience of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Great Migration, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Black Power Movement.

  • Purvis Young, Ramond Thomas Art Exhibition and Program: This exhibition celebrating Black art, presented by the Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Commission, is now on view at Zolla Lieberman Gallery in the River North neighborhood. Get your tickets today for the program on Feb. 27.

Explore more: Check out our guide to Black arts and culture in Chicago all year round.

Concerts

Musicians play on the Symphony Center stage
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Todd Rosenberg Photography 2022

Honor Black History Month with Black music traditions including jazz, Afrobeats, and blues.

  • Black Futures Concert Series: Afrofuturism: The Freedom Metropolis: This free concert series by Uniting Voices honors Afrofuturism: the convergence of art, science, technology, and Africana history with a performance of jazz, soul, pop, funk, hip hop, and Afrobeat. The concerts take place on Feb. 7, 10, and 11 at Chicago Symphony Center.
  • First Wednesday Blues & Beyond with Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith: Explore the blues and its many variations with the next generation of blues musicians during this monthly free series at the Logan Center for the Arts. The show kicks off on Feb. 5.
  • Guy Davis/Crys Matthews: Listen to the musical storytelling of the “Ambassador of the Blues,” Guy Davis, accompanied by virtuoso acoustic guitar and harmonica riffs. Dubbed the “next Woody Guthrie”, Cyrs Matthews uses her powerful voice and lyrics to be a social justice changemaker. The show is on Feb. 8 at the Old Town School of  Music.
  • AfroLatino Festival: Robe L. Ninho: Be transported by a musical explosion of Cuban rhythms, Nigerian Afrobeats, and Jamaican dancehall percussion by Cuban rapper and producer Robe L. Ninho. The free performance is on Feb. 19 at Old Town School of Music.
  • Kahil El Zabar: Ethnic Heritage Ensemble Heart & Soul Tour: Concepts of African American music mixed with the earlier sounds of traditional African music form the basis for the distinctive Ethnic Heritage Ensemble sound. Celebrating half a century of innovative rhythms, the group is a Chicago musical landmark. The show is on Feb. 27 at The Promontory.

Tours and events

Historic map of Bronzeville
Photo by Eric Allix Rogers

Dive deeper into Black culture and history with tours of historic landmarks and neighborhoods, panel discussions, and speaker events.

  • Commemorative Day: Black History Month: Discover how art has created social change in Chicago’s African American community during this interactive event that includes art activities, music, and speakers at the Chicago History Museum on Feb. 22.
  • Chicago Black Restaurant Week: Sample dishes that reflect Black heritage and innovation during this annual event that offers special deals from Feb. 9 – 16.
  • Playlab Playdate: Black History Month Story Time: The Field Museum invites children for a free storytime session that honors Black history, culture, and communities with stories and songs. The session is scheduled for Feb. 26.
  • Kings and Queens Ball — Black History in Costume 2025: The rich legacy of Black history will be honored with live music, dance, and costumes to pay homage to historic Black figures, during this second annual event. The event is set for Feb. 15 at the Logan Center for the Arts.
  • Historic Change: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells: The DuSable Black History Museum, along with the United States Mint and the National Women’s History Museum, present this special evening commemorating Chicagoan and changemaker Ida B. Wells. All attendees will receive the Ida B. Wells commemorative quarter.
  • Chicago Mahagony Tours: Celebrate the history and cultural legacies of Chicago’s Bronzeville, Englewood, and North Lawndale communities with Chicago’s award-winning urban historian Sherman “Dilla” Thomas all month long.
Theatre
The Second City
The Second City

Enjoy Chicago’s extensive Black theatrical scene with productions that reflect the diversity of the Black experience.

  • Fat Ham: This 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning play reimagines Hamlet as a Southern cookout with a Black queer man grappling with identity and his father’s ghost in this insightful tragedy filled with comedy. The production runs at the Goodman Theater through Feb. 23.
  • A Raisin In The Sun: This legendary story traces a Chicago family’s fight to keep their hopes and aspirations alive. Written by Chicago playwright Lorraine Hansberry, this was the show written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway. The production runs at the Court Theatre until March 2.
  • Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley: Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the historic, televised debate between acclaimed Black author James Baldwin and conservative critic William F. Buckley in 1965 in Cambridge  UK, this TimeLine Theatre production offers an immersive imagining of the groundbreaking event. The play runs through March 2 at Cortelyou Commons at DePaul University.
  • Jaja’s African Hair Braiding: The vibrant world of a Harlem hair braiding salon comes to life as the West African immigrant stylists form a close-knit community to help combat the realities of their outsider status. Chicago Shakespeare Theater hosts performances on Feb. 1 and 2.
  • Policy: Running Numbers A Family Business: Take a trip to the South Side during Prohibition and the daily lives of the African American community with this high-energy musical. The history, cultural contributions, and economic achievements of working-class Black families capture the spotlight during this production which runs Feb. 13 – 16 at the Harold Washington Cultural Center.
  • We Always Bounce Black: The Black Excellence Comedy Revue returns with a new set of sketches, songs, and improv reflecting Black Joy. The show runs every weekend through March 29.

Historic landmarks and monuments

Victory Monument in Bronzeville

All around Chicago, you’ll find physical reminders of the city’s Black history and culture. In particular, the streets of the historic Bronzeville neighborhood are lined with monuments and landmarks dedicated to the area’s rich African American legacy. Go on a DIY walking tour of the area and don’t miss the Monument to the Great Northern Migration, the Bronzeville Walk of Fame, the Victory Monument, the Ida B. Wells-Barnett House, and more.

Explore more: Discover landmarks to Black history all around Chicago.

Black-owned businesses in Chicago

Nobody's Darling owners Renauda Riddle and Angela Barnes
Nobody’s Darling owners Renauda Riddle and Angela Barnes, photo by Susanne Fairfax

One of the best ways to celebrate Black History Month is by supporting local Black-owned businesses. Chicago is home to a diverse community of Black-owned restaurants, theatres, shops, and beyond.

Art, theatre, music, and dance

Cafes, bakeries, and coffee

Restaurants & bars

Shopping

Explore more Black-owned businesses throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods