By Keisha Jackson
Washingtonpost.com Staff
Tuesday, February 1, 2000

E. Faye Butler portrays blues and jazz singer Dinah Washington in "Dinah Was," this month at Arena Stage. (James Bland)

February is the month in which the nation honors the history and progress of African Americans. During the 1920s, scholar and educator Carter G. Woodson created and promoted Negro History Week, choosing February because it included the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln – two men who pushed the limits in the name of equality.

In 1976, the month-long celebration was officially implemented and became the chance for Americans to participate in events that reflected on both the "hidden history and culture" of African Americans.

Take a look at more than 60 black history events in the area, or see below for our selection of the most interesting and illuminating celebrations.

Feb. 1-7:
The "father of black history," Carter G. Woodson was born in 1875 in Buckingham County, Va. Until his death in 1950, Woodson dedicated himself to investigating, documenting and publishing African American history. Only the second black man to receive a doctorate from Harvard University, he is best known for establishing Negro History Week in 1926. Join his biographer Jacqueline Goggin, tap dancer Brother Black and other artists in the Baird Auditorium at 2 p.m. as the Smithsonian launches its Black History Month celebration. This program is free.

What were Martin Luther King Jr., Paul Robeson and Barbara Jordan like as children? Storyteller Cheryl Collins thinks she knows, and beginning Feb. 7 she shares her wisdom with all who are curious in an original production called African American Heroes: Childhood Stories at the Discovery Theatre. Tickets are $5; $4 for Smithsonian Associates; call 202/357-1500.

Feb. 8-15:
An exhibit opening at the Kennedy Center's South Gallery Feb. 10 tells the history of an ancient culture that continues to preserve the 250-year-old West African tradition of bas-relief art – a form of sculpture that projects slightly from its background. The Kennedy Center partnered with the Getty Conservation Institute to make Abomey: History Told on Walls, featuring photographic images, sculptures, fabric appliqués and videos on performing arts in Abomey. Admission is free. Call 202/467-4600 for more information.

Amid all of the flowers, candy and frou-frou gifts that'll be flying around in celebration of Valentine's Day, don't forget to celebrate a great man who rose up from slavery and became internationally renowned for his eloquence in the fight for freedom. The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site honors Douglass's birthday with a wreath-laying ceremony followed by a musical tribute and a host of guest speakers. Admission is free. Call 202/426-5961 for more information.

Feb. 16-23:
Leaping across the stage with speed and agility in authentic African garb are the Maasai Dancers from the Mizizi Cultural Center of Kenya. Just one of the many free events offered during the Kennedy Center's African Odyssey – a four-year cultural exploration of the arts and artists of Africa and the African diaspora – the Maasai Dancers demonstrate how Kenyan warriors celebrate with dances commemorating the killing of wild game, victory after war and their ability to woo those of the opposite sex. The dancing spectacular starts 6 p.m. on the Millennium Stage. For more information, call 202/467-4600.

Oh, if I had a hammer. It has been 50 years in the making, but folk singer extraordinaire Odetta has managed to accumulate a time capsule full of songs that have touched souls from Alabama to Zimbabwe. She explores her journey through life, music and song as she sings down memory lane in a loving tribute to . . . well, herself, at Baird Auditorium on Feb 20. Tickets are $20; $15 for members. Call 202/357-1650 for more information.

Feb. 24-29:
On Feb. 24 at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, historian C.R. Gibbs gives up the skinny on little-known stories about African Americans in the Old West. Using a slide presentation to help tell the story, Gibbs unlocks the mysteries about sheriffs, cowboys and doctors from the Alamo to Dodge City. The program starts at 6 p.m. Admission is $10; free for members. Call 202/357-1300 for more information.

The call of the drums has made Doudou N'Diaye Rose a living legend in the world of percussion. Rose, the chief drum major of Dakar, Senegal, joins the Drummers of West Africa Feb. 26 and 27 for two nights of innovative and traditional music. Tickets for the Feb. 26 performance at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall are $12 to $35; call 202/467-4600 for more information. Tickets for the Feb. 27 performance at George Mason University are $25 to $36. For more information, call 703/218-6500.

Crowd Scene, no date, by A.P. Bedou, from the nationally touring exhibition Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers, 1840 to the Present. (The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library)

Our interest in black history doesn't quit when February ends. Check out these events that begin during Black History Month and continue beyond. African American Photography, Forever Young: A Portrait of the Black Child, A Concrete Vision: Oshogbo Art in the 1960s.