BALTIMORE, MD — This February, classrooms across Maryland will once again come alive with music, storytelling, and history as Blacktastic! A Virtual Festival of Maryland Black History and Culture returns for its sixth year.

Designed for schools seeking joyful, original, and accessible Black History Month programming, Blacktastic! is presented by Arts for Learning Maryland and invites students statewide to celebrate the richness of Maryland’s Black history and cultural legacy. Last year alone, the virtual festival reached more than 55,000 students across the state.

The 1.5-hour virtual experience features curriculum-aligned performances and interactive content led by professional Maryland teaching artists. Through music, dance, storytelling, and virtual field trips to historic sites, students explore the lives and contributions of influential Black Marylanders in an engaging, age-appropriate format suitable for all grade levels.

“This festival was an amazing opportunity for students and teachers alike to experience the power of the arts—a variety of forms and contents, all in one,” shared a Baltimore City teacher. “Can’t wait to see where this goes next year!”

Another educator from Prince George’s County echoed that enthusiasm: “My students were completely engrossed. Incorporating music and the arts into a history curriculum was excellent, and as a teacher I was very impressed and pleased.”

Honoring Maryland Legends

This year’s Blacktastic! program is a dynamic remix of audience favorites from the past five years, honoring trailblazers who shaped Maryland’s cultural and civic landscape, including:

• Verda Freeman Welcome, the first Black woman elected to the Maryland State Senate
• Chick Webb, legendary drummer and bandleader
• Denyce Graves, internationally renowned mezzo-soprano and living legend
• Lillie Carol Jackson, civil rights activist and organizer

The program is brought to classrooms by Arts for Learning teaching artists Debra Mims, Baba Bomani, Jamaal Collier, Denyce Graves, and Quynn Johnson of SOLE Defined, alongside students and special guest contributors.

More Than a Performance

Registration for Blacktastic! includes live access to the virtual festival on February 26, a curriculum-aligned activity book to reinforce learning, and extended on-demand access to the program through the end of the school year—making it a lasting educational resource beyond Black History Month.

Arts for Learning Maryland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the education of Maryland’s youth through culturally diverse arts programs. By pairing professional teaching artists with classroom educators, the organization creates engaging lessons that blend the arts with core academic subjects.

For more information or to register, visit www.artsforlearningmd.org/blacktastic.