When Is Black History Month?

Is Black History Month always in February?

Yes. In the United States, Black History Month falls in February every year. It covers the whole month, from February 1 through February 28, or February 29 in a leap year. The next leap-year observance will be in 2028.

The month has no fixed weekday. In 2027, February 1 falls on a Monday and February 28 falls on a Sunday.

When did Black History Month start?

The observance began as a week, not a month. Historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History held the first Negro History Week in February 1926 (Library of Congress). Woodson chose a week in mid-February because Black communities already celebrated the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass then (ASALH).

During the 1960s, Black students and community groups pushed for a longer observance. Black United Students at Kent State University proposed a full month in 1969, and the university held the first monthlong observance in 1970 (Kent State Today). In 1976, the nation's bicentennial year, the association made the national shift from a week to a month (ASALH).

For the full story, read Who Started Black History Month? and What Was Negro History Week?

When did Black History Month become official?

Two dates mark its official recognition.

1. February 10, 1976. President Gerald Ford issued a message on the observance of Black History Month. He asked Americans to recognize achievements of Black Americans that had too often been overlooked (American Presidency Project).
2. February 11, 1986. Congress passed Public Law 99-244, which designated February 1986 as "National Black (Afro-American) History Month" and asked the president to issue a proclamation (Public Law 99-244).

Every president since 1976 has issued a Black History Month proclamation (Library of Congress).

Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day part of Black History Month?

No. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta (National Park Service). The federal holiday in his honor falls on the third Monday in January. President Ronald Reagan signed it into law in 1983, and it was first observed on January 20, 1986 (Encyclopedia of Alabama). The two are separate observances.

Is there a theme each year?

Yes. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the organization Woodson founded, sets a national theme each year. The 2026 theme, marking one hundred years since the first Negro History Week, was "A Century of Black History Commemorations" (ASALH). ASALH had not announced the 2027 theme as of October 17, 2026. This page will be updated when it does.

How can I take part?

Museums, libraries, schools, and National Park Service sites hold programs throughout February. See Black History Month Events for national and city listings, and Black History Month Activities for ideas for classrooms, families, and workplaces.