Step Afrika!: The Evolution Tour blends contemporary dance and art forms into a compelling artistic experience at The Miller Theater on February 7 th . (See ‘Get In Step’ event listing below)
FunTimes Magazine: ‘Culture & Entertainment’ column, week of Monday, February 2, 2026
“Let us never forget that Black history continues to define American history.”
— Yvette D. Clarke, U.S. Representative
Buckle up for a busy month, everybody! We mean February named after the Roman festival Februa. And the month is short but sweet with events. Many of them focus on the usual national observances: Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl Sunday, Mardi Gras, and, of course, Black History Month, which began about 100 years ago with historian Carter G. Woodson’s week-long observance back in 1926. The celebration was extended to a month in 1976. The 28 days now recognize the struggles and successes of African Americans. So, since it is the briefest month, let’s get going; here are some low-cost or free activities exploring Black History Month and other interesting topics.
Celebrate Black History Month At FunTimes’ ‘Bridge of Freedom’ Discussion
Thursday, February 19, 2026. Make room on your calendar for FunTimes Magazine’s Bridge of Freedom: A Fireside Conversation on Freedom and Global Black History in celebration of Black History Month.
The fireside conversation is part of FunTimes oral history initiative, which was introduced last October. The project is designed to reframe the ongoing story of American independence, by connecting it to the global Black liberation movement. The Bridge of Freedom event will be an engaging discussion featuring community leaders and scholars who will take a deep dive into the themes of freedom, history, and solidarity, as America observes its 250th anniversary this year.
The event will be moderated by Mikhael Simmonds, Mid-Atlantic Manager of Solutions Journalism Network and a multimedia and international reporter. Panelists will be: David W. Brown, Associate Professor & Assistant Dean for Community and Communications at Temple University; the Rev. Carolyn C. Cavaness, Pastor of Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, and Dr. Tiffany R. Pennamon, Assistant Professor of African American Literature at Lincoln University.
It will feature an enlightening program including the panel discussion, audience participation, entertainment, and showcase of FunTimes’ community partners, followed by a networking reception. Enjoy a performance by the West Philadelphia String Music & Mentorship Program. Free, pre-registration is encouraged; 5 p.m. EST to 7 p.m. EST.Mother Bethel AME Church, 419 6thSt. Email: info@funtimesmagazine.com, 215-954-6300 or https://funtimesmagazine.com/
Find Out Who’s The Rightful Heir…
Friday, February 6 to Sunday, March 1, 2026. Check out PLANTATION BLACK, presented by InterAct Theatre Company. Get hooked on a story chronicling a sticky scenario, two centuries after a vague agreement binds a Civil War-era plantation family to the enslaved people working the land.
The situation comes to a head when the white and Black Prioleau descendants have to ultimately determine who owns the property. The promotional material notes: “PLANTATION BLACK’s innovative structure evokes the way history repeats itself, and the (sometimes) random ways we learn about our national and personal history.”
Phaedra Michelle Scott’s production is directed by Kimille Howard. Their work is wildly creative, offering six different potential starting points in history to kick off the play. Six actors play both Civil War and present-day characters. About 20 minutes before performances, a raffle ball drawing will determine where in history the performance shall begin.
Certain performances will include discussions with PLANTATION BLACK participants afterwards. Arrive 20 minutes prior, if interested in determining the production’s starting point. $12 per person; show times vary: 2 p.m. EST & 7 p.m. EST. InterAct Theatre Company @ The Drake, 302 S. Hicks St. 215-568-8079 or boxoffice@interacttheatre.org or https://www.interacttheatre.org/plantationblack
Cheikh Ibra Fam
All Eyes On This Music Man With A Message
Friday, February 6, 2026, meet musician and artist, Cheikh Ibra Fam, at a concert and conversation featuring music from Sénégal. A musician with a message, he will give an acoustic performance, play percussion, and tell stories about his native Africa.
He has performed at Montreal’s Nuits d’Afrique Festival, headlining New Morning in Paris, at Lafayette Festival International de Louisiane, New Orleans Jazz Festival, and the World Music Festival Chicago. He collaborated with Maloyan artist, Christine Salem in 2024, to create “Niama,” a musical about the abolition of slavery on Réunion Island. The production recounts the story of Princess Niama, who was forcibly taken from Sénégal in the 18th century before being freed by her owner.
Fam also is active through the nonprofit Innovation: Africa, which employs solar-powered technology to bring clean water and light to remote African villages.
Pre-register; individual tickets: $30 (Includes one beverage); 7 p.m. EST to 8:30 p.m. EST. Alliance Française de Philadelphie, 1420 Walnut St. (Suite 700). 215-735-5283 or https://www.afphila.com/community/event-rsvp/?event_id=997
Shop & Support Black Artistry
Saturdays: February 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2026. Honor a century of creativity, culture, and craftsmanship at the Black History Month Artisan Marketplace at The Movement Philly. Celebrate Black artistry and browse for jewelry, art, fashion, and a myriad of hand-crafted gems by local and national artists and makers. The market was created in recognition of the 100 years since the founding of Black History Month.
Free but pre-register; noon, Saturdays in February. The Movement Philly, 7133 Germantown Ave. 215-753-2000 or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-our-hands-to-historycelebrating-100-years-of-black-artistry-history-tickets-1980602110228
Learn About Courageous & Creative Change-makers
Saturday, February 7, 2026. Kids will enjoy hands-on workshops at Black History Celebration, honoring notable change-makers during Black History Month at the Please Touch Museum. Check out art and STEM workshops, performances by Living Arts Dance Studio and New Freedom Theatre, Pennsylvania’s oldest Black American theater.
Learn, through play, about accomplished African Americans who have shown courage, confidence and creativity. Be amazed at Science Workshops, led by Nafees Norris, a cell culture scientist-educator and the first African-American to graduate with a degree in Biopharmaceutical Process Engineering. See photos and biographies of inspiring Philadelphians Patti LaBelle, Jill Scott, Quinta Brunson, Mo’Ne Davis, and others featured on the museum’s “Black History Walk.”
Adults and children, ages 1 and older: $22 per person ($20 weekdays during February); 9 a.m. EST to 4:30 p.m. EST. Please Touch Museum, 4231 Avenue of the Republic. Email: info@pleasetouchmuseum.org, 215-581-3181 or https://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/learn/black-history-month/
Get In Step
Saturday, February 7, 2026. Step Afrika!: The Evolution Tour will blend percussive dance styles of historically African-American fraternities and sororities with traditional African movements. Step Afrika! has elevated the art of stepping, a synchronized rhythmic combination of footsteps, clapping and spoken word. It will integrate contemporary dance into a cohesive, compelling artistic showcase of songs, storytelling, and audience participation. Enjoy a mix of technique and harmonious energy for an experience of pure poetry in motion.
Individual tickets: $41 to $74 (Save 25 percent with the Code “EVOLUTION.” Inquire.) 7 p.m. EST. Miller Theater, 250 S. Broad St. 215-893-1999 or https://www.ensembleartsphilly.org/series-and-subscriptions/family-discovery-series/step-afrika or http://www.ensembleartsphilly.org.
Go Buy the Book At This Event
Saturday, February 7, 2026. Get up to speed on some of the best children’s books and nearly 40 top authors at the 34th Annual The African American Children’s Book Fair, one of the United States’ oldest and largest single-day book fairs.
Award-winning writers and illustrators will sign their books. Buy a variety of affordable books, from pre-school to young adult; take part in promotional giveaways, prizes and games. Some of the proceeds support The African American Children’s Book Project created in 1992, to promote and preserve children’s literature written by or about African Americans to promote and preserve Black children’s literature.
Free admission; 1 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St. (12th and Arch West Entrance). Email: Read@TheAfricanAmericanChildrensBookProject.com, 215-878-2665 or https://theafricanamericanchildrensbookproject.org/
Donate To The ‘Souper Bowl’ Of Food Drives
Through Sunday, February 8, 2026. Ensemble Arts Philly has teamed up with Philabundance for a community food drive. The campaign began on January 19th, during the City of Philadelphia’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service at the Kimmel Center. That’s when folks enjoyed the 36th annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Tribute Concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
Donate canned goods and nonperishable food items at designated bins in the lobbies at various arts venues such as the Academy of Music, Miller Theater, and Forrest Theatre. The food drive runs through Super Bowl Sunday aligning with the national Souper Bowl of Caring initiative organized by Tackle Hunger, a national nonprofit that empowers communities to fight food insecurity.
Philabundance delivered 52 million pounds of food last year in Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey, and the Ensemble Arts Philly’s food drive is all part of their efforts. Ideal items are unrefrigerated, low in sugar and sodium; best bets are cooking oil, canned tuna or meat, peanut butter, jelly, and canned soups. They should be in boxes, cans, plastic bottles, and be new or recently purchased, unopened, and in good condition. https://www.ensembleartsphilly.org/blogs-and-press/blogs/give-back-this-mlk-day-through-philabundances-community-food-drive
