Black History Month: 7 ways to celebrate in Atlanta

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre performed a series of shows at the Fox Theatre in February. Shown here are Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s Linda Celeste Sims, Alicia Graf Mack, and Glenn Allen Sims in Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations.” CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREW ECCLES The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Jewel Wicker

Credit: Jewel Wicker

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre performed a series of shows at the Fox Theatre in February. Shown here are Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s Linda Celeste Sims, Alicia Graf Mack, and Glenn Allen Sims in Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations.” CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREW ECCLES The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

All around us are the contributions of black creators and innovators and for (at lest) 28 days each year we slow down long enough to acknowledge and appreciate them.

This Black History Month, celebrate the current and past contributions of black people by visiting a museum, or seeing a play or movie in metro Atlanta.

“I Am Not Your Negro”

The Oscar-nominated documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” is showing at two local theaters in metro Atlanta this month.

Created by filmmaker Raoul Peck, “I Am Not Your Negro” completes author and social activist James Baldwin’s unfinished novel using archival footage.

Baldwin was 63 when he died. He left behind 30 pages of an unfinished manuscript titled “Remember This House,” intended to share his personal account of the lives and assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers.

The 93-minute documentary is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. It is rated PG-13.

“The Mountaintop”

“The Mountaintop” is a fictional production that reimagines Martin Luther King, Jr.’s conversation with a maid at the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his death in 1968. The Atlanta-born civil rights activist was killed at the Memphis hotel on April 4, 1968.

Through Feb. 12. 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. $20-55. Aurora Theatre, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. Auroratheatre.com .

High Museum Collection

A current exhibit at the High Museum revisits the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. through five photos. The images show the activist as he fought for civil rights and spent time with his family. The exhibit, which serves as a quick way to reflect on one of the most important activists in U.S. history, is on display through March 12.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Through March 12. $14.50 (ages 6 and older), free (ages 5 and younger). High Museum, 1280 Peachtree St., Atlanta. High.org.

Too Heavy For Your Pocket

“Too Heavy For Your Pocket” tells the story of two young couples in rural Tennessee during the civil rights movement. Bowzie is hoping to attend Fisk University on a scholarship, but when presented with the idea to become a Freedom Fighter, his future becomes uncertain.

The play will run from through 26. On Feb. 10, the theater will host a Q&A with Holder.

7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays (except Feb. 4-5); 7:30 p.m. Sundays (except for Feb. 19). Feb. 4-26. $10 (teens), $20-$42 (general admission). Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St., Atlanta.  Alliancetheatre.org .

Alvin Ailey

One individual who is certainly worth celebrating during Black History Month is choreographer Alvin Ailey. Ailey’s contributions to modern dance and choreography will be on display when the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs the critically acclaimed “Revelations,” a work that incorporates blues, spirituals and gospel, at the Fox Theater.

8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Feb. 15-19. $21.50-$86.50. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., Atlanta.  foxtheatre.org .

Attend a free panel or event at Center for Civil and Human Rights

The Center for Civil and Human Rights are hosting several events and panels this month that will highlight black history in an engaging way.

In collaboration with Alliance Theatre, the museum will host a free production of "In the Southern Breeeze." Created by the Jireh Breon Holder, the same playwright responsible for "Too Heavy For Your Pocket," the play depicts an interaction between four men from different time periods.

“This play asks us to take a hard look at how our society has treated and continues to treat African American men and challenges us to transform our world so that every person’s freedoms are respected and hopes are possible,” the museum’s website reads.

The museum will also explore black politics in light of the Obama and Trump administrations during a half-day symposium featuring academics, activists and bipartisan elected officials.

"In the Southern Breeze" 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Feb. 20 Free. Center for Civil and Human Rights, 1000 Ivan Allen Jr., Boulevard, Atlanta. Civilandhumanrights.org.

"Black Politics after Obama" 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Feb. 24. Free. Center for Civil and Human Rights, 1000 Ivan Allen Jr., Boulevard, Atlanta. Civilandhumanrights.org.