This Black History Month, Lincoln Square is celebrating African-American culture and creativity with a diverse lineup of performances, music, and cultural programs. From live jazz and innovative showcases to virtual discussions and exhibitions, February offers many ways to explore and honor Black heritage in the area.
Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium (1887 Broadway, between 62nd and 63rd Street) will host The Future in the Now: Young African-American Creators on Thursday, February 12, at 7:30pm, a showcase highlighting emerging Black artists working at the intersection of music, technology, and multimedia storytelling. On Thursday, February 19, at 7:30pm, the Atrium presents Black History Is for Everyone: Voices of a People’s History, a performance inspired by Brian Jones’s new book, featuring spoken word and music. The program explores Black history and challenges our understanding of race and nation. Later in the month, on Thursday, February 26, at 7:30pm, the venue presents The Sistas With Transistas: A Transformative Evening of Sound, Story, and Sistahood, featuring live performances, spoken word, and storytelling that celebrate Black sisterhood, creativity, and community.
Jazz enthusiasts can look forward to two weekends at Jazz at Lincoln Center (Broadway at 60th Street). On Friday and Saturday, February 20–21, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and bassist Endea Owens present newly commissioned works offering contemporary interpretations of Africa’s influence on jazz. Friday and Saturday, February 27–28, Caribbean Crossroads features Carlos Henriquez and Obed Calvaire with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms with contemporary jazz and special guests to celebrate the vibrant sounds of the diaspora. For at-home viewers, The Metropolitan Opera offers on-demand performances highlighting African-American composers, performers, and works.
The Riverside Library branch (127 Amsterdam Avenue, between 65th and 66th Street) of the New York Public Library (NYPL) adds to Black History Month programming with a virtual teen comics chat on Thursday, February 12, at 4:00pm, exploring Black History Month alongside romance and the Lunar New Year. More broadly, the NYPL is marking the month across its system with programs, recommended reading lists, and resources for all ages that highlight Black history, culture, and creative voices. Readers can also explore these themes at the Strand Bookstore (2020 Broadway between 69th and 70th Street) through its Black Stories of Friendship collection, celebrating African-American voices and connections.
The NYPL’s exhibition Syncopated Stages: Black Disruptions to the Great White Way, on view through Saturday, February 21, at the Library for the Performing Arts (40 Lincoln Center Plaza), examines the pivotal role Black performers, composers, and creators played in shaping Broadway, highlighting moments of innovation, resistance, challenge, and lasting influence on American theater. On Saturday, February 21, at the American Folk Art Museum (2 Lincoln Square), see Alexandria Eregbu’s Blue Magic, an immersive sonic and textile performance celebrating Black heritage and creative traditions. Blending poetry, field recordings, folk music, and indigo‑dyed textiles, it explores the deep histories of the color blue, ancestral memory, and material culture.
This Black History Month, the Store at MAD (2 Columbus Circle) is highlighting a curated selection of work by Black designers and makers, showcasing pieces rooted in craft, imagination, and cultural expression across a range of materials and creative perspectives. After exploring Lincoln Square’s Black History Month programming, visitors can continue the celebration with a meal at Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi (10 Lincoln Center Plaza, inside David Geffen Hall). Chef Onwuachi, a 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Chef, serves inventive Afro‑Caribbean–inspired cuisine rooted in heritage and bold flavors. Tatiana has earned acclaim from The New York Times and was named Best Black‑Owned Restaurant in 2025 by Travel Noire.
Just outside Lincoln Square, visitors can engage with history through The New York Historical‘s (170 Central Park West) talks and gallery tours, including programs on the Gay Harlem Renaissance (Saturday, February 14, at 11:30am) and Malcolm X (Tuesday, February 17, at 6:30pm). NYC Parks is hosting a tour of Seneca Village, a 19th-century African-American community, on Saturday, February 14, at 1:00pm, providing a glimpse into Manhattan’s rich historical past. For those looking to explore further, the NYC Tourism Black Experience in NYC guide offers maps, stories, and cultural highlights across the city, helping visitors discover Black history and heritage beyond Lincoln Square.
With performances, discussions, exhibitions, and community programs, Lincoln Square and its nearby cultural institutions offer a vibrant array of ways to celebrate Black History Month this February.
Photo Credit: The Metropolitan Opera
