Arts and Culture
in Roxbury
According to the City of Boston, Roxbury is “the heart of Black culture in the city.” Keeping with its 20th century roots, the neighborhood continues to host an expansive jazz scene, as well as many other cultural events in and around Nubian Square. Roxbury Cultural District helps keep these events alive and prospering including its “Nubian Nights” multimedia experience.
The Museum of National Center of Afro-American Artists, located just north of Franklin Park, houses rotating exhibitions of African, Afro-American and Caribbean art, celebrating the visual arts heritage of the African diaspora worldwide. The music division of the NCAAA produces and performs Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity in Boston every holiday season.
The Nubian Square Public Art Initiative is spearheaded by Black Market Nubian and is developing a series of public murals and installations for the community, by the community, including Boston’s first Black Lives Matter street mural on the Washington Street corridor in 2020.
Several annual festivals take place in Roxbury, including the Roxbury International Film Festival and Boston Art & Music Soul Fest (BAMSFest). Both of these events take place in June, and celebrate the art and work of BIPOC artists. Through these events, Roxbury’s history as a predominantly Black neighborhood is honored, all the while creating lively and exultant events for the Roxbury community and its visitors.