The 2026 Black History Month theme, “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” marks 100 years since Dr. Carter G. Woodson and his colleagues institutionalized the study and celebration of Black history through the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). Beginning with the founding of Negro History Week in 1925, Woodson sought to transform how Black people viewed themselves and how the world viewed them, turning the observance into a lasting cultural institution. Rooted in early traditions of commemorating emancipation and milestones of freedom, Black History Month has evolved into a national and global recognition of the contributions of people of African descent. Since President Ford’s 1976 proclamation and the 1986 Congressional designation of February as Black History Month, the observance has extended into schools, libraries, museums, and public spaces worldwide. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, this centennial theme calls for renewed reflection on the power of commemoration to preserve truth, resist historical erasure, and affirm the ongoing significance of Black history in shaping both national and global narratives. (Retrieved from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History)
Events
- Date/Time: TBA
- Location: TBA
- Description: TBA
- Facilitator: Joseph Lenkart
- Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6:00–8:00 p.m
- Location: Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, 1212 W. Nevada Street, Urbana, IL
- Description: Film screening of The Edge of Each Other’s Battles (2002), a 59-minute documentary honoring Audre Lorde, followed by a facilitated discussion.
- Facilitator: TBA
Exhibits
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A Century of Black History Commemorations: This display features archival materials around the theme “A Century of Black History Commemorations.”
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Location: Second Floor, Main Library
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Sponsor: University Archives
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Black History at HPNL: Content from the HPNL collections.
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Location/Sponsor: History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library
- African Americans and Labor: This pop-up library display celebrates the past century of Black History Commemorations. Please feel free to check out any of the books that inspire you to learn more!
- Location: Main Library, SSHEL
- Sponsor: Social Sciences, Health and Education Library (SSHEL)
The 2025 Black History Month (BHM) theme, “African Americans and Labor,” invites deep reflection on the intersections between Black individuals’ work and workplaces across various contexts, moments, and themes in Black history and culture throughout the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora. This theme highlights the diverse and significant ways labor—whether free or unfree, skilled or unskilled, vocational or voluntary—shapes the collective experiences of Black people. Work has long been central to Black history and culture, from the agricultural labor of enslaved Africans sustaining Low Country colonies, to debates among Black educators on the value of vocational training, to community-driven self-help initiatives and entrepreneurship, and the role of organized labor in combating economic and social injustice. Black labor has consistently been a transformative force across time and space. The 2025 BHM theme seeks to honor and celebrate these profound contributions, emphasizing the pivotal role of labor in shaping Black experiences and advancing history. (Retrieved from Black Americans and Labor)
Banner images:
- Homepage banner: Dr. St. Elmo Brady and class, ca. 1940s, Found in 15/5/18, Box 3, Brady, St. Elmo
Copyright holder is unknown - Medical student from the Carle Illinois College of Medicine trains in the Jump Simulation Center. Photo by Fred Zwicky / University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
- Professor St. Elmo Brady, University of Illinois Archives
- Staff of the Francis Nelson Health Center, University of Illinois Archives
- The Dancer Moves for All of Us, Rare Book & Manuscript Library
- African American Research Center
Events
- Description: Join us for our first hybrid webinar of the year with an engaging presentation about the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, a community-driven initiative that celebrates the rich history and lasting contributions of African Americans in the Champaign County area. The trail’s mission is to educate residents and visitors about these often-overlooked stories, while its broader vision seeks to inspire meaningful conversations, deepen cultural understanding, and promote a more inclusive society.
- Speaker/facilitator: Angela Rivers and Dr. Barbara Suggs-Mason with Archivist of Multicultural Collections and Services, Jessica Ballard-Lawrence
- Location: Main Library, Media Commons, Room 220 and via Zoom
- Date/Time: Thursday, Feb. 20, 12:00–1:00 p.m.
- Description: Join us for a thought-provoking and enjoyable event where we take some time to think about the vital contributions of African Americans to labor movements and their enduring impact today. Dr. Phillips-Cunningham will present her newly published book, Nannie Helen Burroughs: A Tower of Strength in the Labor World. Her work highlights Burroughs as one of the most influential labor leaders of the twentieth century, showcasing the unprecedented Black women’s labor movement born from Burroughs’s initiatives, including the National Training School for Women and Girls, domestic worker organizations, and her groundbreaking study on racial and gender disparities in labor.
- Speaker/facilitator: Dr. Phillips-Cunningham and Chris Wiley
- Location: Main Library, Room 106 and via Zoom
- Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 26, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m
Exhibits
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Spotlight on the Harlem Renaissance: This exhibit spotlights the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign’s rich and diverse collection of materials from and about the Harlem Renaissance. There will be a case about the history of the Harlem Renaissance, a case about art and one on photography, a case focusing on music and then two cases looking at writing, one on literature and the other on thinkers of the era.
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Location: North / South Corridor of the first floor at the Main Library
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Sponsor: The Arts and Humanities Division
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Legacy of Knowledge: Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Black Scholarship: For Black History Month, Funk Library is excited to highlight a diverse collection of Black authors from our collection. Among the many works we’ve compiled, you’ll find subjects such as zoology, environmental science, sports & recreation, urban planning, cooking, history, engineering, gardening and much more. Stop by to discover or revisit the voices that have shaped and continue to shape our world.
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Location: Funk Library, Second Floor
- African Americans and Labor: This pop-up library display celebrates the contributions of African Americans to labor movements, industry and workplace equity. Explore historical milestones, key figures, and pivotal moments as you also reflect on what equity and justice in labor means to you. Learn about the leadership of A. Philip Randolph and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the role of Black labor unions in the Civil Rights Movement, and the enduring impact of figures like Nannie Helen Burroughs and Bayard Rustin. Celebrate the resilience and power of Black labor while learning about its lasting impact on economic and social justice. Please feel free to check out any of the books that inspire you to learn more
- Event Type: Display
- Sponsor: Social Sciences, Health and Education Library (SSHEL)
- Location: Main Floor, SSHEL
- Date: Feb 3, 2025 – Feb 28, 2025 All Day
- Contact: Mandi Arlain | marlain@illinois.edu
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“We are each other’s harvest”: Gwendolyn Brooks and the Formation of Black Literary Canon: This year marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of Gwendolyn Brooks’s Annie Allen, the poetry collection that won the first Pulitzer Prize by a Black author. Our new exhibit celebrates Brooks’s achievements in the history of Black American letters by tying together notable first editions of Black writing from the 18th and 19th centuries to the anthologies of the 20th and 21st, illustrating the emergence of rich and creative Black literature into the mainstream. Material highlights include Phillis Wheatley’s Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773), Alain Locke’s The New Negro: An Interpretation (1925), and Brooks’s own manuscripts.
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Location: Main Library, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Room 346
