Black History Month events run throughout February. National anchors include ASALH's virtual festival, which starts February 1, and programs at Smithsonian museums and National Park Service sites. Local museums, libraries, and universities add their own events in nearly every city.
Dated 2027 listings will be added here as organizers publish them in January.
National events
ASALH Black History Month Virtual Festival
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, which founded the observance, holds a virtual festival of talks and programs starting February 1. Each festival follows the year's national theme (ASALH).
Smithsonian museums
Smithsonian museums in Washington and New York have marked February with family days, music and dance performances, talks, book signings, hands-on workshops such as genealogy research, and film screenings with panel discussions. Participating museums have included the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Anacostia Community Museum, the National Museum of African Art, and the National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian).
National Park Service sites
- Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Washington, D.C. The park has held birthday celebrations for Douglass around February 14 (National Park Service).
- Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, Washington, D.C. The home of Black History Month's founder has a new visitor center and exhibits (National Park Service).
Kent State University, Ohio
Kent State, where the first monthlong observance took place in 1970, marked the month in 2026 with campus events (Kent State Today).
Events by city
Mobile, Alabama
Start at the Africatown Heritage House, 2465 Wimbush Street, which tells the story of the Clotilda and the community its survivors founded. It opened July 8, 2023, and is run by the History Museum of Mobile (Encyclopedia of Alabama).
See what else is happening in Mobile on The Mobile Edit, the House of Salt & Noir guide to the city's events, restaurants, and Black-owned businesses.
Washington, D.C.
See the Smithsonian and National Park Service listings above.
How to find events near you
- Check your local public library and county historical society calendars.
- Search the Association of African American Museums directory for member museums in your state.
- Check National Park Service sites in your area through the Network to Freedom and the We Shall Overcome itinerary.
Sources
- Abraham, Lisa. "Celebrating Black History Month Where It Began." Kent State Today, February 9, 2026.
- Association for the Study of African American Life and History. "Black History Month Virtual Festival." Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Association of African American Museums. "Directory." Accessed October 17, 2026.
- National Park Service. "Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site." Accessed October 17, 2026.
- National Park Service. "Help the National Park Service Celebrate the Life and Legacy of Frederick Douglass." News release, January 22, 2015.
- Sexton, Jon. "Africatown Heritage House." Encyclopedia of Alabama. Updated February 6, 2025.
- Smithsonian Institution. "Celebrate Black History Month at the Smithsonian." News release, February 1, 2019.