A Preview of Black History Month Florence 2026

 

The 11th edition of Florence’s Black History Month (BHMF), which develops around the theme “Common Time,” celebrates the cultural heritage of African-descending communities worldwide through a program of events ranging from talks and art shows to a  historical commemoration to a film screening in English during the entire month of February.

The program kicks off on Monday, February 2 with the showing of  BLKNWS, Terms & Conditions by Kahlil Joseph at the Cinema Astra, Piazza Beccaria (9 pm).  BLKNWS is adapted from a video art installation, a distinctive cinematic experience that mirrors the sonic textures of a record album, weaving fiction and history in an immersive journey where the fictionalized figures of W. E. B Du Bois and Marcus Garvey join artists, musicians, Joseph’s family, and even Twitter chats, in a vision for black consciousness.

On February 3, NYU Florence (Villa Sassetti, Via Bolognese 120) is hosting the lecture in English “According to Naokuren: Manga, Comics and Afro-Fantasy,” moderated by Shannice Alogaga  at 6:15 pm.  She will interview Naokuren on his professional career as an Afro-French mangaka, from his first short comic stories to his publication as an illustrator with the fantasy albums of “Cyfandir Chronicles.”

Born in 2000 in France, Naokuren has been passionate about drawing since kindergarten. There, he discovered the world of manga through “Naruto,” which left such a strong impression on him that he wanted to create his own. Inspired by the art of Yusuke Murata, he made three short stories to improve his craft during his art studies. Upon graduation, Naokuren met Tony Valente, who offered him the opportunity to work on a spin-off set of the “Radiant” universe, his first project: “Cyfandir Chronicles.”  RSVP here.

The inauguration of a show of works by Dre Love, “Trying to Show a Little Love in a World of Hate” will open at the Fermino Bistrot, Borgo Santa Croce 13/r on February 8 from 4 to 8 pm.

This display is a celebration of the life and legacy of the multifaceted artist Andre Thomas Halyard, aka Dre Love (November 22, 1965 Queens, NY – May 19, 2025 Florence), and his influence as a pioneer on the world of Hip Hop in Italy and on the city of Florence. The project draws upon the personal archive of Halyard forming a collage of vinyls, artisanal objects, posters, videos and music that anchor the artist within the space of Fermino where he performed regularly.

The Murate Art District on via Ghibellina will host BHMF exhibitions from February 12 to April 12, in collaboration with the American Academy of Rome, a research and arts institute.  The shows focus on 2026 Rome Prize Fellows T.J. Dedeaux-Norris and Heather Hart alongside archival material related to writer William Demby, an influential Black artist in post-war Italy, who was affiliated with the Academy in the 1950s. Hart’s work has been presented in major museums and public spaces in the United States and internationally.

On February 13, a commemoration service by the City of Florence will be held, including the laying of a wreath, below the plaque dedicated to Resistance fighter Alessandro Sinigaglia (1902 – 1944) on the date and place where he was ambushed by the Fascists on Via Pandolfini on the corner of Via del Crocifisso (pictured on the home page).  Sinigaglia, the son of an Italian father and an African-American mother from St. Louis employed by a U.S. family who moved to Fiesole, was an important figure in the Resistance movement, so much so that a partisan brigade, Vittorio Sinigaglia, named in his honor, helped free to free Florence from the Nazis and their Fascist collaborators in the summer of 1944.

The Stanford University Florence campus at via de’ Bardi 36 has scheduled a talk (February 18, 6 pm) by Professor Paula Gaither titled “Racialized Ways of Seeing: Africans in the Department of Greece and Rome in the British Museum.”