Black History Month

Black History Month at ECSU

Black History Month has its origins in 1926, when historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson and the Association of the Study of Negro Life and History sponsored the first Negro History Week. It was celebrated the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Month-long celebrations of Black History began as early as the 1940s and picked up pace during the 1960s. In 1976, Carter's organization, now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), institutionalized Black History Month as we know it today.

The 2026 theme is A Century of Black History Commemorations. According to ASALH: "2026 marks a century of national commemorations of Black history. Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, George Cleveland Hall, William B. Hartgrove, Jesse E. Moorland, Alexander L. Jackson, and James E. Stamps institutionalized the teaching, study, dissemination, and commemoration of Black history when they founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) on September 9, 1915.

In 1925, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson planned the inaugural week-long observance of Black history, he could hardly have anticipated the imprint he would leave on the world. From Negro History Week to Black History Month, ASALH has carried forth the tradition, and the observances have become part of the warp and weft of American culture and increasingly the global community. For our 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."

 

Wednesdays

Black History Discussions
Hosted by the Black Feminist Collective
Johnson Hall 143, 3:30 pm

Wednesday, February 4

Phamily Pheud
Hosted by Beta Zeta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Theta chapter, and SEAL
Ridley Student Complex 206, 6:00 pm

Thursday, February 5

Black History Game Night
Hosted by the ECSU History Scholars
Johnson Hall Lobby, 4:00 pm

Tuesday, February 10

Community Connections: From the Gridiron to Galaxies with Astrophysicist Dr. Dakotah Tyler
Khan Planetarium in Jenkins Science Center, 6:00 pm

Thursday, February 12

Historic Walking Tour with Dr. Glen Bowman
Meet at the steps of Lane Hall 11:00 am

Sunday, February 15

Music of the Civil Rights and Black Consciousness Movements
WRVS 89.8 FM, 10:00 am

Monday, February 16

“Eastern North Carolina’s Black History”
Dr. Joshua Strayhorn, Richards Civil War Era Center at Penn State University
Johnson Hall 138, 5:00 pm

Wednesday, February 18

Movie Night Hosted by the ECSU History Scholars
Johnson Hall 138, 5:00 pm

Friday, February 20

Poetry Slam Hosted by the Soulful Creatives Poetry Club
Johnson Hall 143, 3:30 pm

Black History Month Movie Night feat. Prof. Tomiko Ballantyne: Just Mercy
Hosted by the Office of Housing and Residence Life
Ridley Student Complex 206, 5:30

Monday, February 23

Screening and Discussion: We Can Do Better with History Before Us filmmaker Frederick Murphy
Burnim Fine Arts Auditorium, 5:00 pm

Wednesday, February 25

Historic Walking Tour with Dr. Glen Bowman
Meet at the steps of Lane Hall at 1:00 pm

Friday, February 27

Black History Trivia Night
Ridley Student Complex Great Hall, 4:00 pm  
Team registration link

For more information, contact: