Update browser for a secure Made experience

It looks like you may be using a web browser version that we don't support. Make sure you're using the most recent version of your browser, or try using of these supported browsers, to get the full Made experience: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.

Community

Celebrating Black History Month All Season Long

January 31, 2025

All year long, we celebrate Black artists who bring their creativity, passion, and unique talents to the Philadelphia area.

Black History Month

Black History Month is celebrated all around the world, but it started in 1926 when Dr. Carter G. Woodson created the first "Negro History Week" through the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). He picked February because it included the birthdays of two important figures in African American history: Frederick Douglass (February 14) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12).

As the Civil Rights movement grew in the 1960s, younger members of ASNLH pushed to turn the week-long celebration into a month-long event. In 1976, on the 50th anniversary of Negro History Week, President Gerald Ford officially declared February Black History Month. It became an annual celebration of African American achievements and their important role in American history. Today, Black History Month is one of the oldest organized celebrations in the country.

Celebrating Black Artists

This year, we asked artists contributing to our 2024-25 season both onstage and off to share insight or inspiration about their craft.

Alaman Diadhiou - Performer in MJ The Musical

Alaman Diadhiou

Emphasize the power that you have to train and improve at any time.

Amber Ruffin - The Wiz

Amber Ruffin

Artists move society forward by showing people what's possible.

Erik Hamilton - Performer in MJ The Musical

Erik Hamilton

Don’t be afraid to show the world who you are.

Judith Jamison - Artistic Dir. Emerita for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2024-25 season celebrates the life and legacy of Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison, who passed away in November of 2024. A Philadelphia native, true icon, and trailblazer, Jamison carried the legacy of Alvin Ailey with grace and vision, inspiring countless dancers and audiences worldwide.

Judith Jamison in Alvin Ailey's Cry

Jack Mitchell, Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation Inc. and Smithsonian Institution

Dance is bigger than the physical body. Think bigger than that.

Kathryn "K" Allison - & Juliet

Kathryn "K" Allison

The fact I can now be that representation for others is really meaningful for me and not something that I take lightly.

Kim Bears - Bailey - Artistic Director for PHILADANCO!

Kim Bears-Bailey

The arts have given me a second voice and a second language.

K. Bernice - Performer in Come From Away

K. Bernice

As long as you stay true to yourself and believe in yourself, you can make it through anything.

Michael Jackson, Jr. - Company Member in Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Michael Jackson, Jr.

Remember: it is okay to fail. It’s a part of what makes you better.

Wynton Grant - Musician in Vitamin String Quartet

Wynton Grant

If you’re going to pursue the performing arts, find inspiring people and performers who can guide you.

###

Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages throughout the month of February for more exclusive content from these artists.