BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Annual Black History Month
Black History Month Events
In honor of Black History Month, Beck is offering events throughout February. Check out the lineup and make plans to join us.
Beck is Black History 365
SAT. FEB. 7, 2026 @ 2 PM | BECK
GOOD & NOBLE
BLACK HISTORY MONTH SCREENING
Good and Noble is a one-hour original documentary produced by the Beck Cultural Exchange Center that examines the life and legacy of Knoxville native Judge William H. Hastie (1904–1976), one of the most influential African American public officials of the twentieth century. Raised in a family that emphasized intellectual excellence, moral purpose, and perseverance, Hastie embodied the charge given to him by his father in childhood to pursue “what is good and noble.”
Hastie’s distinguished career included numerous historic appointments: he became the first African American U.S. Federal Judge, served as Civilian Aide to the Secretary of War, Dean of Howard University School of Law, and Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Across law, education, and public service, his leadership helped expand opportunity and advance justice during pivotal decades in American history.
Through historical reflection and storytelling,
Good and Noble highlights Hastie’s enduring impact as a jurist, scholar, and civil rights pioneer, offering an inspiring portrait of principled leadership and a life devoted to justice.
SAT. FEB. 14, 2026 | 1 PM BECK
Seasons of Love
“Where History Takes the Stage: A Black History Month Brunch & Theatre Experience”
Valentine's Day
This Valentine’s Day, join us for a moving celebration where love is honored not only as romance, but as resistance, as art, and as history.
Seasons of Love brings Black history off the page and onto the stage through extraordinary performers, actors, storytellers, and musicians who carry generations of courage, faith, brilliance, struggle, and joy. This is more than a performance. It is living memory. It is testimony. It is community. Here, history is not just remembered, it is felt.
Special Host: Linda Parris-Bailey
A visionary force in American theater, Linda Parris-Bailey is an award-winning playwright and cultural leader whose five-decade career has shaped Black and Southern theater. President & CEO of Parris-Bailey Arts and former Executive/Artistic Director of The Carpetbag Theatre, she is a Creative Capital Awardee and a Doris Duke Artist Award recipient. Her celebrated works — including Dark Cowgirls and Prairie Queens, Speed Killed My Cousin, Between A Ballad and A Blues, and her newest work Yankee Bajan- center on transformation, identity, and empowerment through story and music. Under her guidance, the stage becomes sacred ground.
Event Details
Catered Brunch Included
Tickets: $10 Beck Members | $20 Non-Members
Tickets on Sale Now While
Supplies
Last
SAT. FEB. 21 | BECK | 10 AM
Dr. Monica Crane, National Expert
The Beck Cultural Exchange Center invites our community to an important and empowering Black History Month health event focused on memory, brain health, and family support.
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias disproportionately impact African American families, yet many do not receive early information, diagnosis, or access to cutting-edge research and care. This special session is designed to change that.
We are honored to welcome Dr. Monica Crane, a nationally recognized expert in dementia care, for a critical, urgent, community-centered conversation.
“The first time I heard Dr. Crane speak, I was truly moved. I immediately recognized the significance of what she was sharing. I left with a deep conviction that our community deserves access to knowledge that can protect our memories, strengthen our families, and preserve our legacy.”
Rev. Reneé Kesler
President Beck Cultural Exchange Center
Historian of African American History, City of Knoxville
Past Black History Month Events
BECK BLACK HISTORY PROGRAMS
Beck
Make Plans To Join Us For A Black History Month Celebration
Black History Month Program
Black History Month is a time set aside during the month of February to commemorate history, and to celebrate the contributions of extraordinary people. While Beck is Black History & Culture 365, each year during February, Beck hosts Black History Month Special Programming.
Make plans to join us for Black History Month and all year long.
Thank you for your support.
