Suffolk and the surrounding area have a wide variety of options during Black History Month to celebrate the rich cultural and historical contributions of African Americans.

The events kicked off Saturday at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, where visitors were able to enjoy a presentation of “Deep River: The Marian Anderson Journey,” an educational opera celebrating the life and legacy of Anderson, one of the foremost classical singers of the 20^th century.

The Suffolk Center will continue its focus on Black History Month this coming Saturday with a presentation of “Freedom Song,” a production of the Children’s Theatre of Hampton Roads that follows a present-day student on a journey through time with Harriet Tubman as her guide.

The area’s libraries are also getting into the spirit.

Morgan Memorial Library will host a visit from Eric Sheppard on Thursday. Sheppard, a relative of former slave Moses Grandy, will share his genealogical history and his ancestor’s history as a member of a maroon colony in the Great Dismal Swamp. An overview of the library’s genealogical resources will be given.

The North Suffolk Library will host an event about the life of maroon communities of runaway slaves in the Great Dismal Swamp on Saturday. A screening of the documentary “Dismal History” and a conversation with one of the film’s producers and naturalist Penny Lazauskas will take place.

Suffolk historian and lecturer Therbia Parker will present a Feb. 21 program at the Phillips-Dawson House, 137 Bank St., as part of the Suffolk Public Library’s Afternoon Conversations series, hosted by the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society. Parker will exhibit part of his collection of African-American memorabilia and speak about Jim Crow.

And near and dear to our hearts at the Suffolk News-Herald are programs planned by Nathan Richardson, who is a marketing representative for the newspaper by day and portrays former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass when he’s not writing poetry and encouraging young people to pursue their creativity through the written and spoken word.

Richardson will present “The Frederick Douglass Speaking Tour” on Thursday at a program sponsored by Women in Defense Greater Hampton Roads. The program will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Virginia Beach-Norfolk, 5655 Greenwich Road, Virginia Beach. Search for the event at www.eventbrite.com for tickets.

And for those who would like to catch Richardson’s performance here in Suffolk, he will repeat it at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Greater First Baptist Church Orlando, 600 Factory St.

Don’t miss these opportunities to celebrate the many wonderful ways African Americans have enriched our nation.