Updated at 9:30 a.m.
Good morning on this gray Monday.
When Frederick Douglass reached New York in 1838, after narrowly escaping the clutches of slavery, he wrote in a letter to a friend, “I felt as one might feel upon escape from a den of hungry lions.”
Today, an eight-foot bronze sculpture of Mr. Douglass stands on the northwest corner of Central Park, along a boulevard named after him.
Indeed, New York has long been a hub of black life in America, from the Harlem Renaissance to the elections of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Shirley Chisholm, and the city is rich with monuments, events and exhibits celebrating that history.
As Black History Month begins today, here are a few things worth exploring:
• At the Arsenal in Central Park, the Ebony Society presents an exhibition on the legacy of African-American public service.
• The Brooklyn Museum is offering a free interactive program on radical black history, with live music, performance, films and workshops.
• As always, the Schomburg Center in Harlem has a large array of panels and lectures. This month’s selection includes discussions on teaching about slavery in New York, on the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat and on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Regardless of what you choose, kick off the month with “Harlem,” the poem by Langston Hughes, who was born on this day in 1902.
And be sure to explore a new compilation of unpublished photos of black history from the New York Times’s archives.
Here’s what else is happening:
It’s hardly a Russian bath outside, but the relatively steamy weather seems to be carrying over from the weekend.
Today is mostly cloudy after some fog in the morning, with a high of 54 and a slight chance of rain.
Winter coat watch: Leave it on the hanger.
IN THE NEWS
• An overloaded court system has brought pain and delays to victims in New York. [New York Times]
• Mayor Bill de Blasio canvassed in Iowa for Hillary Clinton, despite an initial rejection. [New York Times]
• A pair of fatal fires in the Bronx raised concerns about the dangers of squatting. [New York Times]
• The city announced a deal restricting helicopter flights for tourists over New York. [New York Times]
• A 28-year-old man was found dead, hanging by his T-shirt, inside a Brooklyn holding cell. [New York Times]
• Firefighters rescued four workers after a scaffolding collapse in Upper Manhattan. [New York Post]
• A man was slashed in the face after an argument on a Harlem subway platform. [New York Times]
• A Queens charity for children with mental health issues is shutting down with $10 million in debt. [Daily News]
• Scoreboard: Warriors vanquish Knicks, 116-95.
• For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Monday Briefing.
COMING UP TODAY
• Collect a piece of free art at a one-night-only exhibit at the Living Gallery in Bushwick. 6:30 p.m. [Free]
• The food expert Saru Jayaraman discusses her new book on American dining at BookCourt in Boerum Hill. 7 p.m. [Free]
• Remember the forgotten neighborhood of Ravenswood at the Greater Astoria Historical Society. 7 p.m. [$5]
• Wyatt Cenac hosts an evening of stand-up comedy at Littlefield in Gowanus. 8 p.m. [$5-8]
• The Georgia band Mothers hits the stage at Berlin in the East Village. 8 p.m. [$10]
• Enjoy a night of political storytelling at Union Hall in Park Slope. 8 p.m. [$7-10]
• Nets host Pistons, 7:30 p.m. (YES).
• Alternate-side parking: in effect until Monday, Feb. 8.
AND FINALLY …
In the heart of Harlem, a totem of black history will soon find a new owner.
The century-old, majestically renovated brownstone at 58 West 120th Street in the Mount Morris Park Historic District that belonged to the writer Maya Angelou is up for sale. The asking price is more than $5 million.
The Harlem building was a ravaged shell when Ms. Angelou purchased it, sight unseen, in 2002. It was soon transformed into a bright architectural gem that welcomed activists and artists of all stripes.
Although Ms. Angelou lived most recently in Winston-Salem, N.C., she began her literary career in Harlem in 1959.
“I never agreed with Thomas Wolfe,” she once said. “I never thought you can’t go home again. I’ve been coming home to Harlem for 50 years.”
Read her poem “Harlem Hopscotch” here.
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