February is Black History Month, and this year the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources has a number of special programs and resources to help you and your family celebrate. Some of our great Black History Month events include:

• A program on the Emancipation Proclamation and its meaning for America, along with a Trail to Freedom Tour with black and white Civil War era interpreters at Bennett Place in Durham on Feb. 23
• A lecture on the contributions African Americans made to their own emancipation at the McDowell County Public Library on Feb. 23

Head to this page to see the complete list of events. Some great resources Cultural Resources offers include:

• African American Artists from North Carolina from the N.C. Art Council
• Articles related to African American history and culture on NCpedia
• A compendium of resources for black history month from the State Archives
• Related books for North Carolina Historical Publications 
• Twenty Stories from North Carolina's Black History broadcast each day on the N.C. News Network and posted on our blog, highlighting some of the people and events that shaped African American history in our state