Black History Month at 100 becomes a crucible for education, activism and cultural memory

2 February 2026

This February marks a century since Black History Month began with historian Carter G. Woodson’s founding of Negro History Week in 1926, a grassroots effort to ensure the contributions and lived experiences of Black Americans would not be erased from the nation’s story. The anniversary has coincided with an intensely contested cultural moment in the United States, where questions about who gets to teach history and how it is taught have taken on fresh urgency amid political pushback and educational battles.

Woodson, frequently called the “father of Black history,” believed passionately that ordinary people could be their own historians and that understanding the full truth of the past was essential to self-worth and collective dignity. He co-founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915 as a platform for documenting Black achievement and resisting the distortions of mainstream narratives. Over the decades, what began as a single week of remembrance grew into a month of celebration, engagement and reflection observed in schools, museums and communities across the country.

Today’s observance comes at a time of rising political tension over how African American history is represented in classrooms. In his second term, President Donald Trump has publicly criticized some Black history lessons, arguing they foster division rather than unity, and federal actions such as the removal of a slavery exhibit at a national park in Philadelphia have alarmed historians and civil-rights advocates. Some states and institutions have reacted with caution, worried about backlash and retribution, leaving some educators reluctant to teach full and candid accounts of African American history.

In response, civil-rights activists, academics and community organizers have mobilized to reaffirm the importance of Black history education. DeRay Mckesson, executive director of the organization Campaign Zero, describes the current moment as one in which the work of teaching and preserving Black history must be insistent and thoughtful. His group, alongside the Afro Charities organization and more than 150 teachers nationwide, is developing curricula intended to help young people engage with Black history in ways that are both comprehensive and grounded in critical inquiry. These efforts emphasize that understanding the Black experience — its trials, resilience and triumphs — is fundamental to understanding America as a whole.

To mark this centennial anniversary, new educational resources are being introduced that go beyond traditional textbook chapters and classroom lessons. One such initiative is a graphic novel titled First Freedom: The Story of Opal Lee and Juneteenth, authored by Angélique Roché, a journalist and educator. The book retells the story of Opal Lee, often called the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” whose decades-long advocacy was instrumental in securing federal recognition of June 19 as a national holiday commemorating the end of slavery. Roché’s work highlights figures who have often been left out of mainstream narratives, including Black entrepreneurs and activists whose stories illustrate both the depth and breadth of African American contributions to the nation.

Juneteenth itself has become an essential element of the broader conversation about Black history. Originating in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 as freed enslaved people learned of their liberation, the day grew from local celebrations to a national observance, eventually becoming a federal holiday in 2021. The holiday has been embraced as an opportunity not just to celebrate freedom but to grapple honestly with the legacies of slavery, resistance and resilience that shape American society.

Scholars like Harvard professor Jarvis Givens are contributing to the centennial’s momentum with academic works that reflect on Black history’s evolution and its ongoing relevance. Givens’s forthcoming book, I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month, draws on extensive research and interpretation to explore how the month has grown from a localized celebration into a widespread cultural institution. His essays aim to equip readers — especially younger generations — to critically engage with history, discern fact from distortion, and carry forward the intellectual legacy that Woodson championed.

Beyond books and classroom curricula, community organizations and cultural institutions are hosting lectures, teach-ins, art exhibits and public events that invite audiences to reckon with the complexities of America’s racial history. These initiatives reflect a broader recognition that Black history is part of the shared American story and that knowing that story deepens the nation’s collective understanding of itself. Advocates argue that teaching history with honesty — including its painful chapters — does not divide; it strengthens citizens’ ability to recognize patterns, challenge injustice and imagine a more equitable future.

Yet the political backdrop remains a source of anxiety for many educators and activists. Actions such as the cancellation of Black history exhibits at colleges in states where anti-DEI measures are in force have sparked protests and legal challenges, with civil-rights groups decrying such moves as censorship that undermines academic freedom. These disputes underscore how education, memory and politics remain deeply intertwined, and how the fight to preserve and teach Black history often reflects broader struggles over power, identity and belonging in American life.

The centennial of Black History Month thus stands as both a celebration and a call to action. It reminds Americans of the visionary work of figures like Woodson and Lee, and of the ongoing necessity to document, teach and honor the full spectrum of African American experience. In a cultural moment marked by debate and resistance, activists and educators are renewing their commitment to ensure that Black history remains a living, dynamic part of the national narrative — not confined to a single month but woven into the fabric of the country’s historical consciousness.