Ways to Celebrate Black History Month In Beacon
Choose from iconic movie screenings, A panel discussion, live music, and more
Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress, Unsplash.
This Black History Month, take a beat to explore what’s on in Beacon throughout February. You’ll find a multitude of ways to honor Black history, creativity, and resilience with local events that celebrate Black voices, stories, and contributions—past and present.
Black History Month began 100 years ago as a single week of recognition. Today, it stands as a month-long celebration—championed nationally in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford—urging Americans to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans,” and to continue that work in our own communities.
Read on for a roundup of iconic movie screenings, a thought-provoking panel discussion, as well as live music and recommendations of books and local online content to explore.
Films To Watch During Black History Month
The Howland Public Library (313 Main Street) is featuring a screening and discussion of the documentary, Chisholm 72: Unbought & Unbossed, on Thursday, February 12th, starting at 6:00 PM. This is the story of the legendary Shirley Chisholm; the first Black woman elected to Congress who also embarked on a historic presidential campaign in 1972.
The program is presented in collaboration with Les Soeurs Amiables Civic Club. Stay after the film for a thoughtful panel discussion, led by Kenya Gadsden, focused on the challenges and opportunities women running for office today face. Panelists include Yvette Valdés Smith, Chair of Dutchess County Legislature, Lastar Gorton, newly elected Beacon Councilmember of Ward 1, and Paloma Wake, Beacon Councilmember at large. The event is free but registration is required.
We asked Yvette Valdés Smith, Chair of the Dutchess County Legislature what Chisholm’s legacy meant to her. She told us, "Shirley Chisholm didn’t just make history: she redefined what was possible. As the first African American woman elected to Congress and the first Black woman to seek a major party’s presidential nomination, she showed what courage and leadership look like.
“Her words, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair,” became an inspiring mantra for me, reminding me that representation isn’t given; it’s claimed. When I decided to run for office, I carried her example with me: the determination to speak boldly for equality and justice, to fight for equity, and to ensure that every community has a voice in shaping its own future.
“Her fearless advocacy for those often unheard taught me that representation matters, but action matters even more, and that’s the standard I strive to uphold every day. Shirley Chisholm didn’t just open doors; she taught us to walk through them with purpose and conviction."
The Beacon Movie Theater has a stellar lineup of iconic movies to honor Black History Month, and they are offering $2 off for all students 18 years old and under. From Friday, February 6th to Thursday, Friday 12th, there’s In The Heat Of The Night starring Sidney Poitier as a Black detective who finds himself solving a murder in a hostile southern town. This 1967 five-time Academy Award-winning film stands the test of time.
From Friday, February 13th, there’s a limited run of Spike Lee’s thought-provoking masterpiece, Do The Right Thing, which digs into complex social issues including the age-old conflict between peaceful protest and violent resistance. This is a film worth seeing on the big screen.
Gears then switch to the electric Dreamgirls, a Black musical with an incredible cast including Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, and Eddie Murphy. Lovers of the Motown era will especially love this film.
42 closes out the season, with Chadwick Boseman in the role of Jackie Robinson, the iconic professional baseball player who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947 by becoming the first African American to play in the Major Leagues for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Beacon Movie Theater is showing a series of iconic films for Black History Month.
Experimental And Indie Screenings To Catch During Black History Month
And there’s more. There are also some not-to-be-missed special features at Beacon Movie Theater, including the acclaimed 2025 movie, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, on Monday, February 23rd and Tuesday, February 24th. The film’s visionary creator, Kahlil Joseph, describes it as an essay docu-fiction. A New York Times’ Critic’s Pick, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is adapted from Kahlil Joseph’s renowned video art installation of the same name. It’s a distinctive cinematic experience that mirrors the sonic textures of a record album and weaves fiction and history in an immersive journey in which the fictionalized figures of historian and civil rights activist, W. E. B Du Bois, legendary jazz artist, Charlie Parker, and Black pride activist, Marcus Garvey, join artists, musicians, Joseph’s family, and even Twitter chats in a vision for Black consciousness.
For indie-movie lovers, (which The Beacon Beacon most definitely is) there’s a gem of a movie called Love, Brooklyn, which premiered to much acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025. The film follows a group of long-time Brooklynites, and Variety called it, “A love letter to the people and places of the New York borough for which it’s named.” Click here to book tickets to any of these movies.
You can also join Beacon High School students (101 Matteawan Road) for The Blues & Beyond, a Black History Month performance at the BHS Seeger Theater on Wednesday, February 18th, starting at 6:30 PM. This event is free and open to the public.
Explore The Rich History Of Beacon’s Black Community
If you can’t make it to one of these events, here are some other local ways to honor and celebrate Black History Month.
In 2023, a local history collaboration by the Rise Up Project at St Andrew & St Luke Episcopal Church and Foundation For Beacon Schools resulted in a documentary featuring Beacon City School District High School students and Beacon senior residents sharing illuminating memories from Beacon’s Black communities. Called Lines of Demarcation, this poignant, student-produced documentary chronicles the lived experiences of Beacon’s Black residents throughout the 20th century. The film captures personal histories shaped by the Great Migration, the rise of industrial job opportunities, the Civil Rights movement, and the disruptive impact of urban renewal on the West End of the city. You can explore excerpts of it here if you didn’t catch it during 2024 or at Beacon Bonfire Music + Art Festival last November.
Books to Read During Black History Month
Read on for recommendations of books to read during Black History Month.
There are so many good books on the Black experience in America, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. So, we turned to Andi and Mark at Stanza Books (508 Main Street) for some recommendations of what to lose yourself in this month.
Here’s what they shared:
Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot. “You'll learn, you'll laugh, you'll mourn, you'll hopefully feel inspired to read a hundred other books after reading this one.”
The People's Project: Poems, Essay, and Art for Looking Forward curated by Saeed Jones and Maggie Smith. “This book gives voice to the people who have not been okay since the outcome of the 2024 election, in short form pieces from established writers and new.”
“The City We Became by NK Jemisin is our Fantasy Book Club selection this month, and we can't recommend Jemisin's work highly enough. In this novel, characters leave and breathe the living mythology that is New York City.”
Be sure to stop by Stanza Books to pick up some, or all, of these works.
The Story of Beacon’s Black History
In 2025, Dan W. Pruitt’s book, LOST and FOUND Beacon’s Black Community 1850-1930, was published. Pruitt spent much of his childhood growing up in Beacon and he worked for IBM for many years. His book delves into the history of Beacon’s Black Community backed up by extensive research and told through compelling local stories that demonstrate the residents’ resilience, challenges, and triumphs during this time. Order a copy from Stanza Books or Binnacle Books to read during February and take the opportunity to understand more of Beacon’s rich and storied history.
Explore AFROFUTURISM At KuBe
Black History Month is the perfect time to go and see the AFROFUTURISM exhibition at KuBe Art Center (211 Fishkill Avenue). The show that began in July has been extended to March 14th and it features five seminal visual artists: Nanette Carter, Renee Cox, Ernest Frazier, Algernon Miller, and Tyrone Mitchell, with some works spanning back to the 1970s. Afrofuturism is a unique, multidisciplinary cultural movement that blends science fiction, technology, fantasy, and history to explore the Black experience and imagine empowered, liberated futures. There’s a tour of KuBe every Saturday from 2 PM for gallery viewings.
Visit The Beacon Beacon Events Guide For More
That’s what we know so far about what’s on in February for Black History Month. Events are often added at short notice, so we’ll be sure to update this feature if that’s the case. Check back periodically for helpful updates. For all events, visit our comprehensive Events Guide and Events Hub on WhatsApp, where you can discover what’s on in Beacon, plus book tickets, too.
Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡