Events planned to mark Black Heritage Month

Community organizers have planned a variety of activities in February to celebrate Black Heritage Month.

The events are organized to celebrate history, culture and civic enrichment, with some activities planned around the 2025 topic set by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History: African Americans and Labor.

Activities kicked off Saturday with the official proclamation signing ceremony at Albert Johnson Sr. Conference Center Auditorium, located at the historic Douglass School (now Lawton Public Schools’ Douglass Learning Center) and named after noted Lawton educator Albert Johnson Sr., who also was the last principal of Douglass School.

Activities will continue this week with the start of the 32nd annual African American Heritage Month Teen Conference, set Tuesday, Thursday and Feb. 11 at Lawton Public Schools’ three middle schools. The month of activities will end Feb. 28 with the NAACP’s official unveiling of the Black Heritage Stamp.

In between are a variety of events. They include:

• Beginning Tuesday: African-American Heritage Month Teen Conference: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Eisenhower Middle School, 5502 W. Gore; 1-2:30 p.m. Thursday, Central Middle School, 1201 Fort Sill Blvd.; and 12:30-2 p.m. Feb. 11, MacArthur Middle School, 510 NE 45th.

• Saturday: Project Alpha: Male Responsibilities, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., CETES Building at Cameron University, 2800 W. Gore. Information at (703) 209-4294.

• Feb. 12: NAACP Founders Day: noon, NAACP Building, 1512 SW Washington.

• Feb. 13: Phi Delta Kappa Inc. presentation: What did the Black church mean to African Americans in times of racial and economic trials throughout history, 6-7 p.m., Charles W. Whitlow Annex of Union Baptist Church, 1601 Charles Whitlow Avenue. To be presented by the Rev. Willie J. Tiller Jr.

• Feb. 14: The Red Summer (1919): Black Labor, virtual presentation by Union Baptist Church: Facebook: Union Baptist Church; and https://www.unionbaptistchurchlawton.com/stream. Information at (580) 583-5038 or (580) 583-8150.

• Feb. 15: Readers are Leaders Read-a-Thon, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., The Next Step TLP Inc., 1402 SW Pennsylvania. Information at (580) 917-0266.

• Feb. 16: Community Black History Program Observation Service, 3:30 p.m., Union Baptist Church, 1601 Charles Whitlow Avenue.

• Feb. 20-21: Soulful Story: Sons of Mystro, 7 p.m., Albert Johnson Sr. Conference Center Auditorium, 91 NW Maine. Free but tickets required by calling 355-3541.

• Feb. 20-21: Legends of Strings: Honoring Frederick Douglass Panel Discussions: Education Night Panel, 3-4:30 p.m. Feb. 20; and Business Panel, 3-4:30 p.m. Feb. 21, Albert Johnson Sr. Conference Center Auditorium, 91 NE Maine.

• Feb. 22: Fort Sill Buffalo Soldiers Run, beginning 9 a.m., Buffalo Soldiers Trail (aka 3-Mile Track), across from Garcia Dining Facility, 3720 Tacy Street, Fort Sill. Information at [email protected].

• Feb. 28: NAACP Black History Stamp Unveiling, 4 p.m. NAACP Building, 1512 SW Washington.