Hickory – February is Black History Month, which is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

In celebration of this month, there are several events organized by the City for all people of all ages to enjoy and pay tribute to the African American heritage and culture.

Hickory Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism Department

Join Ridgeview Recreation Center in celebration of Black History Month at the 7th Annual Creative Xpressions Showcase! This event will be held on Saturday, February 22, starting at 5:00 p.m. Enjoy poetry and spoken word, singing, dance, comedy, and more. There will be free giveaways and prizes. Dinner will be served. This event is free and is open to the public. Ridgeview Recreation Center is located at 115 7th Avenue SW. For more information, please contact Senior Recreation Programmer Andrea Nixon at (828) 324-8007.

Hickory Public Library

Bright Star Theatre, a national professional touring theater company, will present Let Freedom Ring: Music and Poetry of Black History at the Ridgeview Branch Library on Monday, February 24, at 5 p.m. Experience uniquely powerful and beautiful words and melodies in this moving show, which celebrates the authors and brings them to life on the stage. Meet important characters like Maya Angelou, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and many more who lent their voices to this important and inspiring tale – the tale of Freedom.

Help celebrate, preserve, and document the history of Hickory’s Ridgeview community. With funding from a “Community Connections: She Changed the World” mini-grant, the Ridgeview Branch Library will host several Community Scanning Days throughout the month. These scanning day events will allow any interested residents to bring photographs, documents, or memorabilia related to Ridgeview’s history to be scanned into digital files and used in the City’s historical collection to create a photo display. Scanning days will take place at the Ridgeview Branch Library, located at 706 1st Street SW, on Tuesday, February 18, at 6 p.m. and on Tuesday, February 25, at 10 a.m.; at the Historic Ridgeview Library, located at 415 1st Street SW, on Saturday, February 22, at 4:30 p.m.; and at the Ridgeview Recreation Center, located at 115 7th Avenue SW, on Thursday, February 27, at 12 p.m.

All library programs are free and open to the public.