Black history and heritage thrives in Miami year-round. This Black History Month, learn, engage, and honor the rich cultural past and experience of Black and African-American people. From a week devoted to African diaspora fashion to the largest Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration in the United States, read on for ways to participate this February and beyond.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade and Festivities
Begin celebrating early with Liberty City’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade. The parade has grown to be the oldest and largest celebration in the United States, with crowds numbering up to 500,000. Commemorate Dr. King’s uplifting message of freedom, social and economic equality, justice, and sustainability on the route that King often traveled during his engagements in Miami.
Pick a spot along NW 54th Street, with the 8-mile route extending from NW 10th Avenue to NW 32nd Avenue. Expect high school marching bands, floats, classic and exotic cars, union leaders, dance and drill teams, and activists marching in this historic procession. The celebration ends at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park with live music, dance, theatrical performances, a crafts marketplace, and food vendors. Visit MLKparadeandfestivities.org for more information.
Art + Soul Celebration at PAMM
Pérez Art Museum Miami hosts their annual Art + Soul event, celebrating the fund to help grow their collection with works by African American artists. Enjoy dinner and a night of cocktails under the stars with a menu prepared by celebrity Chef Amaris Jones. Afterwards, join PAMM for a champagne toast as they unveil the Ambassadors most recent art acquisition. The party continues into the night with entertainment by Jillionaire and A. Randolph and The Smash Room Project, cocktails, canapés, and dancing. This exclusive event doesn’t come cheap, but it’s a wonderful opportunity to wine, dine, and talk art with some of the most respected curators in the business.
Black Tech Week
Techies unite! The annual Black Tech Week returns to Miami for its national conference. The minority-centric ecosystem-building festival partners with founders, corporations, and the community to create a five-day experience for investors, entrepreneurs, and techies. Check out their website for a full list of speakers and events taking place in Overtown, Little Haiti, and other Miami neighborhoods throughout the week.
Black Heritage Festival
The annual Black Heritage Festival returns to Miami Gardens for an afternoon of African fashion, music, dance, rock climbing, vendors, food trucks, and more. Celebrate diverse Miami-Dade County with an ode to the influencers and achievements of the African American community. The event is free to the public.
Afrifest Miami
This African Cultural and Wellness Festival connects all peoples of African descent for a day of cultural food, music, dance, and history “edutainment” inspired by African roots and culture. Test your African knowledge with questions like, ‘How are Yoruba/Nigerian and Cuban people connected?’, ‘Angola and Cuba?’, ‘Haiti and New Orleans?’, and ‘Are there African roots of Salsa?’ Reconnect to your African past at Afrifest, taking place at the Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall Social and Economic Center.
Lyric Theater
The historic Lyric Theater quickly became a major entertainment center for blacks in Miami in 1913. The theater presented movies and vaudeville productions for almost fifty years and became a symbol of black economic influence, pride, and culture in the Overtown neighborhood. After being placed on the National Register of Historic Places and several renovations later, the newly renamed Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex is now the oldest legitimate theater in Miami. Check out their calendar for a full list of year-round events.
African Fashion Week
Florida’s Premier African Fashion Week returns to Miami for their annual celebration of African fashion, music, and art. The show is the only major runway production in Florida featuring established and emerging African designers. Join Ankara Miami Inc. in highlighting talent, trends, and progression within the African diaspora. Keep an eye on their website for ticket sales.
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Join in on the Black History Month festivities by booking three nights or more at our SoBe oasis, where smart design and cool people mix as easily as cocktails. Save up to 25%, receive a $25 credit towards food and beverages from our Kenmore Lobby Bar, free classes at Glow Hot Yoga, and more.