Honoring Black History Month – February 2026

The theme for 2026 marks a century of national commemorations of black history. For its 100th theme, the founders of Black History Month urge us to explore the impact and meaning of black history and life commemorations in transforming the status of black peoples in the modern world. To understand the modern world, especially nations where black peoples form a significant population, one must grapple with the impact that the public observances have had on the past and the present. As the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the organization that was instrumental in getting February declared as Black History Month, said, “During this year, which we are also commemorating the 250th Anniversary of United States Independence, it is important to not only tell an inclusive history, but an accurate one. Thus, the need to examine the role of Black History Month could not be greater than today when forces weary of democracy seek to use legislative means and book bans and challenges to excise Black history from America’s schools and public culture. Black history’s value is not its contribution to mainstream historical narratives, but its resonance in the lives of black people.”