The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will honor prominent Black women in the arts and entertainment industry during March in recognition of Women’s History Month.
To kick off the month, businesswoman and former BET Chairman and CEO Debra Lee will discuss her professional journey in the entertainment industry in a conversation about her new memoir, “I Am Debra Lee,” on Friday, March 10, starting at 7 p.m. at the Oprah Winfrey Theater.
On March 16 at 7 p.m. at the Winfrey Theater, artists Deborah Willis, Amy Sherald and Bisa Butler will talk about African American women and social justice. The artists will be a part of “The Simmons Talk” endowed by Prairie View A&M University President Ruth Simmons and they will speak specifically on “Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience.”
On March 24, the museum will feature a new exhibition “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures” investigating Afrofuturist expression through art, music, activism, and other genres. From the enslaved looking to the cosmos for freedom to popular sci-fi stories inspiring Black astronauts, to the musical influence of Sun Ra, OutKast, P-Funk, and others, the exhibition covers the broad and impactful spectrum of Afrofuturism.
The Afrofuturism exhibit will run for a year. Other programming on March 25 includes “History Alive!: Tuskegee Airmen: African Aviators During World War II” as told by history interpreter John McCaskill, who will have a focus on the role of women during that program; a Spring STEM Teacher Workshop: Contributions in Agriculture led by STEM education specialist Christopher Williams and a virtual cooking demonstration and conversation with chef Jonny Rhodes.
Admission is free to most of these museum events, but registration is required. The cooking demonstration registration is $20.