CAMBRIDGE — Dorchester County organizations will host a wealth of special programming through February to celebrate Black History Month.
The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, fast approaching its one-year anniversary, will have special programming on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, in addition to its everyday tours.
Fridays, Feb. 9, 16 and 23, will feature tours focused on the symbolism of the center and park. Saturday mornings, Feb. 10 and 24, guests will have the opportunity for a “Conversation with a Ranger,†to talk about various subjects, such as why Tubman changed her name from Araminta Ross. On Saturday afternoons, guests can learn about William Still and his work with the Underground Railroad.
Sundays, Feb. 4 and 18, will have guided tours of the indoor exhibit hall and sessions about the Eastern Shore of Maryland’s integral role in the Underground Railroad.
The Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and all events are free of charge.
A partnership of the Dorchester County Historical Society and Chesapeake Kinfolk, Genealogy and Enrichment Services has produced a packed calendar of events, all hosted at the Heritage Museums and Gardens of Dorchester, 1003 Greenway Drive, Cambridge.
“Their Eyes Were Watching God,†adopted from the novel of the same name and starring Halle Berry, will be screened from 7 to 9 p.m Friday, Feb. 9. Admission to each screening is $10, and refreshments will be included.
Guests can stop in from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, for a workshop on the basics of genealogy. The workshop will address some issues many African-Americans face when conducting family research. Attendees will be taught basics and some tips for filling out pedigree charts and more. The cost is $10 per person.
On Friday, Feb. 16, there will be an open mic night from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The night will be devoted to poetry, spoken word and performance that highlights African-American history and thought. Featured poets will include Jo Wordsmith, Lisa Lips and Diana Thompson. DJ Eyeconic will perform, as well. Admission is $10 per person.
The final event at DCHS will be a lecture by professor Tarik Oduno from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23. He will share his research “From Banneker to Tubman to Burroughs.†Admission is $10 per person.
RSVP to DCHS events by emailing ckgenrichment@gmail.com. For visitors who would like to attend all the events offered, a package admission is available for $40. This series has been made possible by grants from the City of Cambridge and Elks Lodge 223.
All month long, Harvesting Hope will sponsor the African-American History Month Health, Wealth, Wellness and Education Series. Events will include a seminar from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday at the Empowerment Center, 615b Pine St., and a gala dinner.
Beginning with Saturday, Feb. 3, seminar topics, in order, will be mental and physical health; finances, insurance and legal education; entrepreneurship; and youth career and college readiness.
The Black Excellence Gala will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Dorchester Center for the Arts. The cost is $25 per person.
Gloria Richardson Day, honored each year in February, will be recognized with a luncheon hosted by the Eastern Shore Network for Change at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the Dorchester Center for the Arts.
The luncheon will feature the first presentation of the Gloria Richardson Award, given to one who exhibits a strong vision for a better world, provides bold leadership and a refusal to accept the status quo. The first recipient will be Ray Washington, founder and director of the Maple Marching Lions and the Maple Elementary music teacher.
The keynote speaker for the luncheon will be Dale Green, assistant professor of architecture and historic preservation in the School of Architecture and Planning at Morgan State University. Tickets will be $30 per person, and can be purchased at ardson-day-luncheon-2018-tickets-42340004092.
For more information, visit the Eastern Shore Network for Change Facebook page.
Gloria Richardson Day was established in February 2017 in honor of her significant contribution to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford visited Cambridge and presented a proclamation to Richardson last year on Feb. 11 to dedicate the day.
She is credited with leading civil rights demonstrations in Cambridge during the 1960s with a nonviolent approach, focusing on public accommodations and continuing the cause with other activists in the Cambridge Nonviolent Action Committee when segregation remained in the city.
More information about any of the above events can be found by visiting their individual websites or Facebook pages, or by going to www.visitdorches -events/.

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