Celebrating Black History Month in Washington DC
Visit the Anacostia Community Museum, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution which features exhibits, workshops, films and programs of African American history and culture from the 1800s to the present.
Commemorate the USCT, a troop of African American soldiers who served in the Civil War at the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum. The museum displays documents and amazing photographs for visitors to learn about this integral part of American history.
Visit the home of ex-slave Frederick Douglas whose house named Cedar Hill is now the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.
Black History Month Family Festival (S. Dillon Ripley Center; 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW; Discovery Theater, Room 3111; 11a.m.-3p.m.)
Celebrate Black History Month with the entire family and participate in a day of arts, crafts, music and education. You can also check out the new exhibit at the National Museum of African American History, “Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968”.
Take a tour of Old Town Alexandria where visitors are educated on the rich local and regional history of many sites.
This month, the Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum of Washington, D.C. will host exhibits intended to raise awareness of Black History Month and learn important lessons about African American figures like Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye and Tiger Woods, who have all been set in wax.
Grupo Bahía (February 26, 2009; 6:30 PM; IDB Cultural Center)
The IDB Cultural Center in association with the Embassy of Colombia and the Ministry of Culture of Colombia are honoring Black History Month through a concert by the famed Colombian quartet, Grupo Bahia.
Washington DC Recession Survival Tips
How to Get More Bang for your Buck in DC
Here are some local DC businesses that are offering specials and low prices in the economic downturn.
Old Town’s Restaurant Eve presents a “Lickity Split” menu (weekdays only) that allows patrons to choose 2 dishes for $13.50 like an Irish BLT and a tiny birthday cake or a glass of wine and a bowl of mussels.
Kotobuki (4822 MacArthur Blvd., NW; 202-281-6679)
Inexpensive Japanese sushi at a great bargain!
Armstrong’s Majestic offers a fabulous Nana’s Sunday Dinner, which includes a meat plate, three delicious sides, and dessert served in a traditional family style meal all for $78 (feeds 4+ people!)
Head over to Palena where head chef Frank Ruta introduces a café style menu which includes gourmet truffle burgers, steaming pasta dishes and elegant fry plates all for around $10.
Iron Chef champ Roberto Donna’s entrées may be winners with the critics but also with the crowd. His joint Bebo Trattoria samples stuffed paninis overflowing with grilled chicken and meats covered in homemade salsa verde for only $6-$9.
Irene’s Pupusa’s serves up warm and delicious pupusa’s, the restaurant specialty which is equivalent of a national Salvadoran street snack. The menu runs fairly simple and is relatively affordable while the food is the best on the block. Choose from any one of Irene’s three locations.
Pho 75 churns out fiery personalized bowls of spicy noodle broth full of beef, basil and chili. The D.C. hotspot caters to ravished patrons and goes through about 4-5 80 gallon servings. This cheap meal is both satisfying and open ‘round the clock.
