Black History Month. People complain that it’s the shortest month of the year. Others wonder why the spirit of the occasion doesn’t carry over to the other 11. Nonetheless, the nation presses on, guided by the vision of Washingtonian Carter G. Woodson: a way to acknowledge that blacks have a history extending beyond slavery and to recognize their achievements and contributions. What can’t be accomplished during a month certainly won’t be done justice in a five-hour program. But it sure can’t hurt to try. “Expressions of a People” celebrates the variety of African culture by offering artistic expressions in dance, music, theater, and more, including storytelling by George Circling Eagle about the African Americans who shaped the Western frontier in “The Black West: Black Cowboys and Indians” and a scene from Marilyn Nelson’s adaptation of Euripides’ Hecuba—from an African-American perspective. From 1 to 6 p.m. at Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington. Free. (301) 292-2839. (Ayesha Morris)