Montgomery Parks will offer special events during February to celebrate Black History Month and honor history, culture and community. Events include an engaging presentation by historian Ralph Buglass on Thurgood Marshall’s early fight against segregation in Montgomery County and poet and author Camille Dungy will discuss powerful insights on the connections between nature and identity.
- Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden. Wednesday, Feb. 5. 7-8:30 p.m. Online. Author Camile Dungy discusses her memoir of gardening, motherhood and her seven-year odyssey to diversify her garden. This online presentation is sponsored by Brookside Gardens and Friends of Brookside Gardens. Free. Registration required.
- Black History Month Family Day at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park. Saturday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, 16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring. Families are invited to drop in to enjoy hands-on activities, including compass making, mapping your family tree, sharing what freedom means to you and more. There will be story times at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Recommended for ages six to 17. Free. No advance registration required.
- History Hour at Josiah Henson Museum and Park. Thursday, Feb. 20, 6-7 p.m. Josiah Henson Museum, 11401 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda. Historian Ralph Buglass presents an illustrated talk on how civil rights attorney Thurgood Marshall delivered an early blow to segregation in Montgomery County. The little-known case is often seen as the first step in Marshall’s drive to have segregated schools outlawed. Recommended for ages 12+. $5 per person. Tickets are available online and onsite. Guests may arrive early and tour the Josiah Henson Museum. Doors open at 5 p.m. Parking is available 1.5 blocks from the museum at Wall Park, 5900 Executive Blvd, North Bethesda.
- Black History Month Family Day at Josiah Henson Museum and Park. Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Josiah Henson Museum, 11401 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda. Visit the Josiah Henson Museum and Park for educational, hands-on activities that demonstrate what a child’s life was like in Dawn, the settlement Rev. Josiah Henson created after self-emancipating to Canada via the Underground Railroad. Henson was a lifelong fighter for freedom and education. All ages. Free with paid admission to the museum. $5 for adults. $4 for children and seniors. Tickets are available for purchase onsite. Parking is available 1.5 blocks away from the museum at Wall Park, 5900 Executive Blvd., North Bethesda.
- Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park. 3610 Brookeville Road, Olney. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
