Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

FunTimes Magazine ‘Culture + Entertainment,” Week of February 12, 2024

If you have a passion for history, then you will love February, the month of hearts and heritage. From the arts to soul music and Motown, entertain going to these February events. Don’t forget, though: When event-going, please take precautions, especially when in groups and indoors, with the current COVID variants and other infectious health threats on the rise. Check with the event organizers about their safety protocols, and also any changes due to inclement weather. 

Exploring Afro-Indigenous arts

Saturday, February 17, 2024. African Americans and the Arts will be the topic of a panel discussion, Hidden in Plain Sight: Afro-Indigenous Influence on Arts & Culture, at the African American Museum in Philadelphia during Black History Month. Leading inter-tribal Indigenous voices will explore the historical and contemporary Afro-Indigenous influences, impacting everything, from the culinary arts to modern mainstream music. It’s all part of the museum’s Black History Month initiative examining the diverse history of African-American arts and culture. Also, explore the museum's galleries, where this dual history is featured through displays and exhibits such as the thought-provoking Rising Sun: Artists in and Uncertain America focusing on human rights, equality, free speech, and other democratic principles. $10 & $14 (the museum’s admission); 1 p.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST. African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St. 215-574-0380 or aampmuseum.org.

Read also:

From Museums to Tours: 11 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month in Philly This February

As one of America’s oldest and most culturally diverse cities, there are several ways one can celebrate Black history in Philadelphia. Read More » 

Under the Canopy exhibit

Hang out with the sloths

February 17, 2024 to September 2, 2024. Sloths are rather slow. Like “you’re-never-getting–back-those-minutes” slow. It would take them one week to get a bag of potato chips from your corner deli just a half-block away. Slower than turtles, slower than watching paint dry, slower than molasses. They come from South America. Taking life easy has worked out for them, though. They have invented longevity, as they’ve been around for 60 million years. They are a lesson to us all to, well, slow down. They get exercise all day, sort of: they are partial to tree-hugging and branch dangling. If this intrigues you, get ready: Sloths and other animals indigenous to rainforest are coming to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in the exhibit, Under the Canopy. It has taken a while to get here, but that’s to be expected. Under the Canopy will showcase our ecosystem and biodiversity, as well as the importance of rainforests “as Earth’s lungs”. Daily animal shows inside the exhibition will include animal feedings and sloth training. You can learn about how sloths adapt and survive in the rainforest. $16 to $20 ($2 discount for online purchases), Wednesdays to Fridays: 10 a.m. EST to 4:30 p.m. EST; Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University,1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. 215-299-1000 or ansp.org.

Soul-stirrer Bobbi Booker is mic-ed up.

Bobbi Booker tops any Sunday

Sunday, February 18, 2023. Soothe your soul this Sunday. Rejoice with sweet-spoken multimedia journalist Bobbi I. Booker, who hosts Spirit Soul Music, a weekly spiritually-focused program on WRTI public radio. Elevate this Sunday, and every Sunday, with three hours of inspiring music from Marvin Winans, Jr., The Dixie Hummingbirds, Philly transplant and minister Eddie Holman, and countless others. It’s a selection of uplifting gospel and soul that only can be curated by veteran soul-stirrer Booker, whose religion is radio. It’s like going to church without even leaving your front steps. Free, 6 a.m. EST to 9 a.m. EST. To listen live, or hear previous programs; wrti.org and on-air: 90.1FM.

The Many Faces of Black History

Monday, February 19, 2024. Take a deep dive into the lives of historical figures like Absalom Jones, Richard Allen, James Forton, W. E. B. Du Bois, Harriet Tubman, Octavius Catto, Rebecca Cole, Carolyn Lecount, Julian Frances Abele, and more, who lived or were connected to the active 7th Ward in Philadelphia. History comes alive through the Philadelphia Black History Tour – a firsthand look at life long ago in Black Philadelphia. Immerse yourself in the stories of these well-known and also unheralded Black leaders, activists, and innovators. From the Underground Railroad to the birthplace of Black publishing, the two-hour tour will cover 15 historical events and provide a “deeper understanding of the African-American experience in Philadelphia.” Learn about the city’s relationships between the enslaved Africans and Free Blacks as well as the connections among the Lenape tribe, Quakers, and Black Americans. The tour will begin at the corner of 100 Market Street and proceed through Old City Philadelphia and the 7th Ward. Buy tickets at least 48 hours in advance. $5 to $20 (kids: $5), 11 a.m. EST to 1 p.m. EST. Convene at 100 Market St. Eventbrite.com.

Read also:

Exploring Philadelphia's Black Heroes: Guion Bluford, Octavius V. Catto, Rebecca J. Cole, Dr. Helen Octavia Dickens, Crystal Bird Fauset, Jessie Redmon Fauset, James Forten, and Francis Ellen Watkins Harper.

Known for its crucial role in the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the city is home to a rich history of monuments and an array of ethnic nationalities amongst which are the Bl... Read More » 

Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Check out the grand opening of a new public art exhibit, Philadelphia Black History: The People's Stories, observing  Black History Month. It features 44 local artists whose works are represented as vinyl square tiles displayed in the hallways of Philadelphia’s City Hall. Organized by the city’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, it’s an artistic tribute to deceased Black Philadelphians who contributed to the history of Philadelphia. The exhibit is inspired by 5,000 forgotten souls buried at the rediscovered Bethel Burying Ground, a 19th-century Black cemetery, in the Queen Village neighborhood. That’s where a future public art memorial, by artist Karyn Olivier, will be installed to tell the decedents’ untold stories. Enjoy a brief kickoff program with remarks by City of Philadelphia officials, followed by a chance to tour the exhibit, and snack on refreshments. Kickoff & exhibit viewing: 5:30 p.m. EST to 7:30 p.m. EST, Free, but register in advance; (Arrive early at the northeast corner visitor’s entrance of City Hall to go through building security.) Mayor's Reception/Rm. 202, Refreshments: Conversation Hall/Rm. 201. The exhibit is on the 2nd, 4th & 5th floors, northeast corner of City Hall, 1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd. eventbrite.com.