Ways to Celebrate Black History at The Carolina Theatre

Through historic exhibits, educational arts programming, and live events, the Carolina Theatre provides a variety of ways to celebrate Black history all year long and learn about the significant cultural contributions of Black leaders to Durham and the rest of the world.  

Visit “Confronting Change”

Learn about how the Carolina Theatre was at the center of the Civil Rights Movement in Durham by visiting the theater’s “Confronting Change” exhibit on one of our FREE public guided tours of our historic exhibits. The “Confronting Change” exhibit was created in 2014 to acknowledge the role the theater played in the movement and to honor those who took part in desegregating the theater. The exhibit includes photos and bios of the people involved in desegregating the theater, newspaper features on the events that took place, and replicas of the separate ticketing window that Black patrons had to use before the theater was integrated.

Tours are held on select Saturdays, from 12pm -2pm and begin in 20-minute increments, with the last one starting at 1:40 pm. The next available tours will be held on 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟰, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟭, 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟭, 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟵, and 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬. To learn more about touring the Carolina Theatre’s “Confronting Change” exhibit, please visit carolinatheatre.org.

Check out local murals 

Murals vibrantly adorn the streets of Durham. Not only do they beautify our environment, but they also tell stories about the history of our city. Take the opportunity to visit murals around the city that proudly display the faces of some of Durham’s Black cultural leaders. Follow Discover Durham’s Black History and Culture Mural Guide, starting with the Durham Civil Rights Mural (pictured above), located on the back of the Carolina Theatre.

February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four and Breaking The Booth Screening 

The Carolina Theatre will screen the documentary “February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four”  and “Breaking The Booth” for the Durham Public School students on February 18 as part of our Arts Discovery Educational Series. February One depicts Ezell Blair, David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil—the “Greensboro Four”—as they began a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter on February 1, 1960, in Greensboro, North Carolina. This demonstration is considered one of the pivotal moments in the American civil rights movement. In the film, protesters recount how the idea for the sit-in grew out of their late-night talks in campus dorms, and how the decision to act changed their lives and history forever. “Breaking the Booth,” is a Carolina Theatre of Durham-produced documentary, follows Durham’s youth protesters during the Civil Rights Movement as they fought to desegregate the Carolina Theatre and integrate public and private facilities across the city.

Keb’ Mo’

Considered a living link to the seminal Delta Blues genre that travelled up the Mississippi River and across the expanse of America starting in the 1920s, Keb’ Mo’ brings his post-modern blues style to the Carolina Theatre on February 24.