City Paper’s fabulous A&E interns (and a couple seasoned contributors) share a month’s worth of Black History Month picks.

? Branch: A Baseball Legend by Michael Gold

In 1947, Jackie Robinson (pictured left) made history when he stepped on the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers to become the first black Major League Baseball player. Two years before that, though, Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey (pictured right) signed Robinson to a minor-league team with the hopes of breaking baseball?s unwritten color barrier. Robinson?s story is well-known and oft?told, so it?s Rickey who is the focus of local playwright Walt Vail?s Branch: A Baseball Legend, playing this month at Society Hill Playhouse.

Feb. 2-26, $25, Society Hill Playhouse, 507 S. Eighth St., 215-923-0210, societyhillplayhouse.org.

? After Tanner: African American Artists Since 1940 by Abigail Minor

What better way to celebrate Black History Month than with an entire range of art made possible by one bold man? Now at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), you can witness how Henry Ossawa Tanner (pictured), an experimental and exemplary painter during his life and an inspiration for many after his death, has changed American art. The exhibit ?After Tanner: African American Artists since 1940? features 20th-century artists, such as William H. Johnson and Hale Woodruff, as well as contemporary artists like Willie Cole and Quentin Morris. The works explore everything from Tanner’s biography to the religious themes he treasured.

Through April 15, $10-15, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St., 215-972-7600, www.pafa.org.


? Imagine Africa Free Community Day by Cassie Owens

As a part of their yearlong ?Imagine Africa? exhibit, Penn Museum will come alive with a free day of dance, music and cultural exchange, featuring performances from local troupes Neo-African Drums ?n? Dance and the Women?s Sekere Ensemble (pictured). A group of Penn-affiliated students and scholars will speak on their experiences as native-Africans and African Philadelphians. Craft tables will invite guests to make their own masks and drums.

Sat., Feb. 18, all day, performances 1-4 p.m., free, Penn Museum, 3260 South St., penn.museum.

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? Iconic Images Tour by Courtney Sexton

Responsible for the installation of over 3,500 works of art throughout the city, the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program offers a special tour of 21 selected murals from the Albert M. Greenfield African American Iconic Images collection, which includes famous faces like W.E.B. DuBois, Patti LaBelle, and Malcolm X. Join a group, or go solo with a downloaded guide and map. Added bonus? The tour also features a free audio guide narrated by ?uestlove.

Ongoing, various prices, times and locations, 215-685-0750, muralarts.org.


? Voices of Africa by Meg Augustin

Another offshoot of the Penn Museum?s ?Imagine Africa? exhibition, the Museum is hosting a communal concert with the West African-influenced group, Voices of Africa. Blending a cappella harmonies with a variety of percussion instruments, the group will perform songs related to the African diaspora, from traditional African songs and percussive rhythms to African-American gospel. Audience members can get in on the fun with an hourlong workshop on drumming techniques, traditional dance and the history of African sounds.

Wed., Feb. 22, 6-8 p.m., $10, Penn Museum, 3260 South St., 215-898-4000, penn.museum.


? Tasting Freedom ÿby James Friel

The civil rights movement did not begin with Martin and Malcolm; it began in mid-19th century Philadelphia with a group of relatively unknown African-Americans led by ?the forgotten hero,? Octavius Catto (pictured). Authors Murray Dubin and Dan Biddle, who recently released the book, Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America, will lead a reading at Musehouse, the city?s newest center for literary arts.

Sat., Feb. 25, 7 p.m., Musehouse, 7924 Germantown Ave., 215-331-9552, musehousecenter.com.