Honoring the Harlem Renaissance

Slide
Calendar

Honoring the Harlem Renaissance

Date and Time

Sunday, April 19, 2026 | 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Location

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Event Type

Special Event, Film Screenings

Cost

Free, thanks to Fifth Third Foundation

Details

Join the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center for a Community Day honoring the Harlem Renaissance, a pivotal era of Black cultural and artistic expression that influenced Jazz and Blues.

Held during Jazz Appreciation Month, this day-long event invites visitors to discover how music, poetry, and visual art served as powerful tools for storytelling, resistance, and creative freedom.

Guests can enjoy the screenings of the Cincinnati Pops, interactive activities and a panel discussion with artists, scholars and musicians reflecting on the movement’s influence.

Things To Do

Interactive activities, such as a Wordplay poetry activation, typewriter station, art history talk, collage making, scavenger hunt and hands-on Music Lab encourage visitors of all ages to engage with the era’s creativity.

The program also features the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra’s new album, Harlem Renaissance, and provides opportunities to explore related music and artwork. 

Harlem Renaissance album cover

In addition, Hoxworth Blood Center will be on-site offering opportunities for guests to donate blood and support the local community. 

This Community Day is free and open to the public, welcoming visitors to gather, learn, and celebrate the enduring impact of Black artistic innovation and cultural expression. 

Schedule 

All-Day Activities, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

  • Collage-Making Station — 2nd Floor 
  • Music Lab — 3rd Floor 
  • Typewriter Poetry Station — 3rd Floor (with a break from 1-2 p.m.)
  • Live Poetry Performances — 3rd floor  at (11:30 a.m., 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.)

Live Jazz Performances

  • 12:00–12:30 p.m. — 2nd Floor 
  • 3:30–4:00 p.m. — 2nd Floor

Harriet Tubman Theater Schedule 

  • 11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. — Harlem Renaissance Art History Talk 
  • 12:30–1:30 p.m. — Live Cincinnati Pops concert  Screening I 
  • 1:30–2:30 p.m. — Panel Discussion 
  • 2:30–3:30 p.m. — Live Cincinnati Pops Concert Screening II 

Fifth Third Community Days are made possible through the generous support of the Fifth Third Foundation. Museum guests receive free admission and the opportunity to experience special programming activities. Reserve your tickets online or in-person.

Posted in .