Read: Executive Summary of the 2026 Black History Month Theme
2026 Black History Theme:
“A CENTURY OF BLACK HISTORY COMMEMORATIONS”
Executive Summary
2026 marks a century of national commemorations of Black history. Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, George Cleveland Hall, William D. 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 have hardly 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 wolf and warp of American culture and increasingly the global community. For its 100th theme, the Founders of Black History Month urges us to explore the impact and meaning of Black history and life commemorations in transforming the status of Black peoples in the modern world.
As part of the global African Diaspora, people of African descent in the United States have viewed their role in history as critical to their own development and that of the world. Along with writing Black histories, antebellum Black scholars north of slavery started observing the milestones in the struggle of people of African descent to gain their freedom and equality. Revealing their connection to the diaspora, they commemorated the Haitian Revolution, the end of the slave trade, and the end of slavery in Jamaica. They observed American emancipation as Watch Night, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth celebrations. Eventually they feted the lives of individuals figures who fought against slavery, most notably Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The scholar Arthur A. Schomburg captured the motivation of Black to dig up their own history and present it to the world: “The American Negro must remake his past in order to make his future.”
When Carter G. Woodson, as director of the Association, established Negro History Week he did so as part of that tradition. Yet, by concentrating the attention of the American public on the scientific findings of historians, he sought to turn the commemorations more forthrightly into a far-reaching, organized, and sustained effort to transform how Black folks viewed themselves and how the world viewed them. Year after year, he built Negro History Week into an African American and American cultural institution. He set the themes and provided materials to illustrate the contributions people of African descent had made to the movement of history and modern culture. As his contemporary, W. E. B. Du Bois put it, “”He literally made this country…recognize and celebrate each year a week in which it studied the effect which the American Negro has had upon the life, thought and action in the United States. I know of no other man who in a lifetime has unaided built up such a national celebration.”
Since the passing of the founder, ASALH has not only continued his work, but also made Negro History Week and Black History Month an even more deeply rooted American institution. On February 10, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford became the first president to issue a message recognizing Black History Month during the United States Bicentennial. Then in 1986, Congress passed Public Law 99-244 designating February as Black History Month. These efforts have made February the month where Black history finds its way not simply into the schools of the American nation, but also in the cultural heritage sites (i.e. museums, archives, libraries, parks, etc.), public squares, workplaces, houses of worship, and homes across the land and across the oceans. These institutions, and others across the country, offer sites to discover and learn more about African American history through programming, camps, book displays, and exhibitions.
To understand the modern world, especially nations where Black peoples form a significant population, one must grapple with the impact that the public observances have had on the past and the present. During this year, which we are also commemorating the 250th Anniversary of United States Independence, it is important to not only tell an inclusive history, but an accurate one. Thus, the need to examine the role of Black History Month could not be greater than today when forces weary of democracy seek to use legislative means and book bans and challenges excise Black history from America’s schools and public culture. Black history’s value is not its contribution to mainstream historical narratives, but its resonance in the lives of Black people.
Read: Why Black History Month?
Most schools still teach a history curriculum which focuses on traditional events and the achievements of white figures. Black History Month gives everyone the opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture.
Known as the “Father of Black History”, Carter G Woodson was born in Virginia in 1875 and was the son of former slaves. Growing up, access to a good education and job opportunities were limited, but he ended up studying at one of the few high schools for black students after saving money from working as a coal miner. Over the years he gained an impressive number of qualifications, including a PhD in history from Harvard University. In 1926 he sent out a press release to mark the first Black History Week in the US. Throughout his life, Carter G Woodson worked tirelessly to promote black history in schools, leaving an indelible legacy.
The event was expanded in 1970, and since 1976 every US president has officially designated February as Black History Month in the US. February was chosen in the US because it coincides with the births of former President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass – who escaped slavery and became a key social activist. Both men played a significant role in helping to end slavery.
Dr. Woodson wanted to increase the knowledge of Black history within black communities, but he was just as anxious to spread it to interested others. He was convinced of the therapeutic power of Black history: Blacks would be seen as integral to the country if their contributions were known. Explaining his plan, Woodson wrote “If a race has no history, if it has no worth-while tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”
In 1940, W.E.B. DuBois declared that Negro History Week was one of the great 1920’s cultural innovations. The week helped Blacks to overcome the sense of inferiority that was the inheritance of slavery and Jim Crow. Much of what the public knows today about black people of the past comes from Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s plan for a February celebration.
Watch: The True History of Black History Month
from: The Cincinnati Herald
Watch: Who Started Black History Month? | A Centennial Documentary
February 2026 Calendar of Events at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh
NOTE: This calendar is LIVE and will be updated as event changes may occur. Please check it regularly for most current updates.
Monday, February 2
Black History Month Tabling
10:00am – 1:00pm
SAGE HALL Lobby
Come out to get your Black History Month Buttons, Candy, Flyers, Posters, and Notifications for upcoming events from members of the African American studies Club (AASC) & the UWO Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P.
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Monday Night Movie
Race – The Jesse Owens Story
6:00pm – Watch Trailer
SAGE HALL Rm – 1216
FREE Admission/Popcorn/Candy/Beverages
Sponsored by the African American Studies Program and Club
Tuesday, February 3
Black History Month Tabling
10:00am – 1:00pm
SAGE HALL Lobby
Come out to get your Black History Month Buttons, Candy, Flyers, Posters, and Notifications for upcoming events from members of Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc.
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Divine Voices and Heritage Gospel Choir
OPEN Rehearsal
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Arts and Communications Bldg. Rm. N14
Come out and see how you fit into the phenomenology of Gospel Music singing. No Auditions Required! For questions e-mail Dr. Simpson: simpsona@uwosh.edu
Wednesday, February 4
Black History Month Tabling
10:00am – 1:00pm
SAGE HALL Lobby
Come out to get your Black History Month Buttons, Candy, Flyers, Posters, and Notifications for upcoming events from members of the Divine Voices of the Valley Gospel Choir
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Open Lecture with Dr. Alphonso Simpson – “Stony the Road We Trod: The History of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
1:50pm – 3:20pm
SAGE HALL Rm – 3235
Join in on Dr. Simpson’s lecture in person as he highlights the history of the historic poem and why the N.A.A.C.P. chose it to be the Black National Anthem.
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Thursday, February 5
Black History Month Tabling in Reeve Union
10:00am – 1:00pm
Reeve Union Concourse
Come out to get your Black History Month Buttons, Candy, Flyers, Posters, and Notifications for upcoming events from members of the Black Student Union (BSU)
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Black History Month Radio Broadcast –
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (rebroadcast from 2016)
5:00pm
90.3 WRST-FM
2026 marks 60 years since the founding of the Black Panther Party – a group still widely misunderstood. On this program, journalist Eric Arnold talks with director Stanley Nelson about his 2016 documentary, The Black Panthers, Vanguard of the Revolution.
Hosted by: Wendell Ray
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N.A.A.C.P. College Chapter – BHM Trivia Night and General Body Meeting
7:00pm
Reeve Union – The Hub
Come out to the N.A.A.C.P. General Body Meeting to meet the Board Members and learn about upcoming activities sposored by the organizaation. Have a great time conversing with others and sharing in on some Black History Trivia. For more information e-mail UWOnaacp
Friday, February 6
Vel Phillips: Dream Big Dreams
PBS Wisconsin Documentary Series
An A-synchrenous virtual event
Login to watch and learn the story of Civil Rights leader Vel Phillips, a woman of many “firsts” in Wisconsin.
Saturday, February 7
Relationship Goals 2.0 –
Q&A – With Doc and Renee
6:30pm
SAGE HALL Rm – 3232
We are back again, this year with a few more answers to your pressing relationship questions! Come out to the 2nd round of this fun and informative Q&A session and get some of your pressing relationship questions answered as you share them anonymously with Relationship Instructors “Doc” & Mrs. Renee Simpson”
Sponsored by the African American Studies Program & Club
Sunday, February 8
Black History Month Sunday Service
9:30 am
Breakthrough Covenant Church
215 E. Washington St. – Appleton, WI
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Monday, February 9
Open Lecture with Dr. Alphonso Simpson –
“Somebody Called It A Renaissance: The Development of a New Black Identity”
1:50 – 3:20pm
SAGE HALL Rm – 3235
Sit in on Dr. Simpson’s Intro to Contemporary Black America class lecture as he highlights the Black Renaissance Era in 1920’s America.
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Open Lecture/Film Screening with “Doc”
“When Enough is Too Much…Sometimes”
3:30 – 5:00pm
SAGE HALL Rm – 3235
Sit in on Dr. Simpson’s Social Problems of Black America class to watch “Fruitvale Station” and Discuss the Social Problems found within Black America. Watch Trailer
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Monday Night Movie – (Kicking off “Tuskegee Airmen” Week)
Red TailsWatch Trailer
6:00pm
SAGE HALL Rm – 1214
FREE Admission/Popcorn/Candy – Sponsored by the African American Studies Club
Talkback by Dr. Michelle Kuhl – History/AAS
Tuesday, February 10
Film Screening Double Feature – The Tuskegee Airmen (Starring Laurence Fishburne) Watch Trailer
and The Real Red Tails (Documentary)
6:00pm
SAGE Hall Rm 1214
Come out and watch this historic film based on the true story of the all African American 332nd Fighter Squadron
Popcorn and Soda compliments of the UWO History Club
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Miss Black and Old Gold Scholarship Pageant Informational
6:06pm
Reeve Union 306
For more information, please contact Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at eta.pi1906@gmail.com
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Divine Voices and Heritage Gospel Choir
OPEN Rehearsal
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Arts and Communications Bldg. Rm. N14
Come out and see how you fit into the phenomenology of Gospel Music singing. No Auditions Required! For questions e-mail Dr. Simpson: simpsona@uwosh.edu
Wednesday, February 11
African American Studies (AAS) Open House
6:30 – 8:00pm
SAGE HALL Rms – 3235 and 3466
Come out and learn about the AAS Program and Club and the events planned for the remainder of the semester. Meet the Exec Board of the Club and find out how YOU can get involved in AAS!
Thursday, February 12
Black History Month Radio Broadcast –
Texts of Resistance Pt.1 (of a 2-part series)
5:00pm
90.3 WRST-FM
His ground-breaking book, The Souls of Black Folk, has been called the foundational text of African American Studies. On this program, Dr. W.E.B. DuBois’s early years, and the enduring influence of his book and life are explored.
Hosted by: Wendell Ray
“Red Tails, Blue Depths:The History of thr Tuskeegee Airmen in the Great Lakes and the Finding of the P-39 Airacobra”
National Museum of the Tuskegee Airmen
6:30 – 7:30pm
SAGE HALL Rm – 1214
Amanda Ford from the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum in Detroit, Michigan is coming to UWO to speak about the Tuskegee Airment and the efforts by the museum to recover training aircraft that crashed in the Great Lakes.
Sposored by the UWO History Club
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African Student Union (ASU)
General Body Meeting
6:00pm
SAGE HALL Rm -1235
Come out to meet the Students of the African Student Union and learn what programming tthey have coming up for the remainder of the year! For more info contact UWOasu
Friday, February 13
Valentine’s Day/Affirmation Card Creation Tabling
10am – 1pm
Reeve Union Concourse
Stop by and make a Valentine’s Day Card for someone. Even if you don’t have a Valentine, feel free to make an affirmation card to promote self-love! You’ll never know who may need it! Co-Sponsored by the African American Studies Club (AASC) and Black Student Union (BSU)
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Know Your Rights: Student Advocacy Workshop
7:00pm
Reeve Union Conourse – Table #4
Come by to pick up a packet of information and get your questions answered by board members of the N.A.A.C.P. e-committee. Learn about all of the ways you can get your voices heard on campus! For more information e-mail UWOnaacp
Saturday, February 14
Black History Love Letters 2.0!
1pm – 4pm CST
A FREE Synchronous Virtual Event
(Advertised as 2pm-5pm EST)
Register to attend through Eventbrite
Bring your poems, songs, dance, and your stories as we celebrate Black History icons we love and who continue to shape the sound of justice in this soulful celebration where leaders, artists, poets, musicians, and community creatives pay heartfelt tribute to the Black historical figures who have shaped their lives. Through their own love letters, poems, songs, and expressive works, participants illuminate the courage, brilliance, humor, resilience, and transformative impact of Black lives and legacies. Hosted by Tim’m T. West, Executive Director of the LGBTQ Institute, this inspired gathering invites community members to join us on Valentine’s Day during Black History Month for an afternoon of storytelling, artistic homage, and collective reflection on the ancestors, visionaries, and cultural pioneers who continue to guide us. Together, we celebrate love as history, history as love, and the power of creative expression to connect past and present.
To sign up to perform, you must register and complete this form:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PFZcpJt-VAE-UO_CxYzYgnnPGStl6fp4mOE0XjMxvLQ/edit?usp=sharing
Supported by The UWO African American Studies Program and Club
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Sunday, February 15
Black History Month Sunday Service
9:30am
Breakthrough Covenant Church
215 E. Washington St. – Appleton, WI
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Black and Old Gold Classic 3V3 Basketball Tournament
12:30pm
ALBEE HALL GYMNASIUM
Can You Hoop? Come out to this exciting event to see who will be crowned the 2026 Black and Old Gold Classic 3 V3 Basketball Champions. Teams can sign up from Tuesday, Feb. 3 at the BHM tabling in the lobby of Sage Hall to Saturday, Feb. 14. online. Registration is $20 per team to be paid to $EtaPi1906 prior to the event. E-mail Larson Lewis at mailto:lewisla22@uwosh.edu for more details. DON’T MISS IT!
Monday, February 16
Monday Night Movie –
Get On Up – The James Brown Story
(Starring Chadwick Boseman)
6:00pm –Watch Trailer
SAGE HALL Rm – 1216
FREE Admission/Popcorn/Candy/Beverages
Sponsored by the African American Studies Program and Club
Tuesday, February 17
Divine Voices and Heritage Gospel OPEN Choir Rehearsal
6:30p – 8:00p
Arts and Communications Bldg. Rm. N14
Come out and see how you fit into the phenomenology of Gospel Music singing. No Auditions Required! For questions email Dr. Simpson: simpsona@uwosh.edu
Wednesday, February 18
Ronald E. McNair Tabling
1:30p – 4:00p
Sage Hall Lobby
Come out to the school of Public Affairs and Global Engagement (PAGE) open house in the Sage Hall Lobby to see all of the the programs that are offered through the school of PAGE. Dr. Cordelia Bowlus – Program Director of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars program will be sharing information about Ronald E. McNair – who the 2nd African American to travel to space 1984 who trgically died at the age of 35, when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff on his second mission.
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Panel Discussion with Seven U.S. Historians
History Wars: Teaching Truths about America’s Past in a time of Political Polarization
3:30-5:00p
Sage Hall 1214
Join historians in a discussion about the ways in which the history of the U.S.—and African American history in particular—is being challenged in today’s political environment.
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6th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Commemorative Celebration and Awards Program/ Oshkosh 94 Scholarship Program
6:30p – 8:00p
Reeve Memorial Union Theater Rm – 307
Keynote Speaker: State Representative Kalan Haywood II.
Assistant Minority Leader – 16th Assembly District
Performances by: Members of the D.V.O.V. Gospel Choir “Tiny Desk Crew” under the direction of Dr. Alphonso Simpson, and The UWO Chamber Choir under the direction of Dr. Kristin Ramseyer
Scholarship Presentations by: Dr. Sheila Knox – Oshkosh 94 and Mr. DJ Daniels – President of the Sigma Upsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc
Remarks by: UWO Administration
Thursday, February 19
Black History Month Radio Broadcast –
Texts of Resistance Pt.2 (of a 2-part series)
5:00pm
90.3 WRST-FM
How did slaves resist their oppression? Three literary works explore what it means to resist and to survive. On this program, we explore an eighteenth-century slave narrative, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano; Frederick Douglass’s novella, The Heroic Slave; and The Known World by Edward P. Jones.
Hosted by: Wendell Ray
Friday, February 20
Crafts, Coffee, and Community
2:00 – 4:00pm
Reeve Union – The Hub (104)
Join Center for Student Success and Belonging staff, interns, and students in Black History Rock Painting while chatting over a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, and creating a supportive and intersectional community.
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4th Annual Decade Dance: “THE 1980’s”
7:00 – 9:00pm
Reeve Union Room 202
Break out the leg warmers and dust off those dancing shoes for a few hours! You’re invited to a “totally tubular” 1980’s Dance Party, where the beats will be fresh, the vibes will be electric, and the dance floor will be jumpin’. We’re talking nonstop jams from the best of the 80’s, neon lights, and moves that’ll have you moonwalking, poppin’, and lockin’ all night long.
Get your student club members together…Come dressed fly, bring your best dance routine, and be ready to party like it’s 1986—because this is one night you don’t wanna miss. It’s gonna be “all that” and a bag of chips.
LIVE MUSIC and photo booth from Professional DJ and UWO Alumn Andre Wallace AKA (dj4000)
$100 prize for best outfit! Prizes for other “best of…”categories will be given as well.
Saturday, February 21
1st Annual Gospel Music Workshop of Oshkosh (GMWO)
2:00pm – 5:00pm
Arts & Communcations Building – Rm N28
Join us for the very first Gospel Music Workshop of Oshkosh on Saturday, February 21st, held in commemoration of the Centennial Anniversary of Black History Month. Led by Dr. Alphonso Simpson – Director of the Divine Voices of the Valley Gospel Choir, This landmark gathering will celebrate the sacred sound, cultural legacy, and enduring power of gospel music across generations.
Come ready to learn, lift your voice, and honor a century of Black history through music, fellowship, and collective praise. This is more than a workshop—it is a historic endeavor you won’t want to miss.
Be present. Be inspired. Be part of the moment.
For more information please e-mail Dr. Simpson: simpsona@uwosh.edu
Sunday, February 22
Black History Month Sunday Service
9:30am
Breakthrough Covenant Church
215 E. Washington St. – Appleton, WI
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Divine Voices of the Valley (D.V.O.V.) “Tiny Desk” Concert
6:30p
SAGE 1210
FREE ADMISSION – Come out to experience this rehearsal styled performance of Praise and Worship in both contemporary and traditional styled Gospel in a close and intimate setting.
Monday, February 23
Monday Night Movie
Shirley – The Shirley Chisolm Story
(Starring Regina King)
6:00p –Watch Trailer
Sage Hall Rm – 1216
FREE Admission/Popcorn/Candy/Beverages
Sponsored by the African American Stidoes Program and Club
Tuesday, February 24
Grab & Go
2:00 – 4:00pm
Reeve Union Concourse
Drop by the main concourse of Reeve Union (right outside of the bookstore) for music, snacks, and famous and inspiring quotes by some of the most celbrated movers, shakers, and stakeholders in Black History!
Sponsored by Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT)
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Bowling with UWO’s Black Student Orgs.
*Free Bowling Party (RSVP Required)
6:30pm
Rev’s Bowl – Oshkosh
RSVP using QR Code at an AASC, DVOV, NAACP or Alpha Phi Alpha Events or Organizational Meeting – RSVP’s for free bowling will stop at 40 registrants.
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED! Thanks to everyone who has signed up.. we will see you this evening. Please check the AASC Instagram to see if you are on the RSVP list!
Wednesday, February 25
Open Lecture with Dr. Troy Washington –
Building Mindfulness in Counseling through a Restorative Justie Lens
4:30p – 5:30p
CLOW NORTH Rm – 022
Come out to join Dr. Troy Washington in discussing the impact of restorative justice on marginalized communities.
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National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) Student Research Presentations
5:30pm
SAGE HALL 1210
Come out to enjoy research presentations by the 5 UWO AAS Students who were selected to present at the 50th Annual National Council for Black Studies Conference in Baltimore, Maryland in March of 2026.
Jade Hibbler – Love as Liberation: Reclaiming Black Male-Female Relationships in the Ongoing Struggle against White Supremacy
Alexyiah Simpson – Paint By Numbers: The Nefarious Portrait of the African American and its Critical Role in the Perpetuation of Racial Battle Fatigue
Jayln Spoke – Invisible Learners: Neurodiversity, Misdiagnosis, and Black Girls in Education
Temi Kayode-Ojo – The Algorithm is Watching: Surveillance, Bias, and Resistance in the Age of Data
Ivanna Taylor-Watkins – From Minstrel Shows to Memes: The Digital Afterlife of Jim Crow
Thursday, February 26
Blind Date With A Book
12:30- 2:00pm
Reeve Union – The Hub (104)
Stop by “The Hub” to pick out a free book based off of a short description. All books are written by Black women or queer Black authors. There will also be poems available for folks who just don’t feel like they have time to read a whole book!
Co-Sponsored by: The Center for Student Success & Belonging (CSSB), Women’s & Gender Studies (wags), and The Women’s Advocacy Council (WAC)
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Open Lecture with Dr. Gabriel Loiacono
Searching for Cuff Roberts: A Black Continental Army Soldier in the American Revolution
2:00-3:00pm
Dr. Boyland University Hall – Room 202
Come out to join Dr. Gabriel Loiacono in piecing together the life of this little-known veteran from the paper trail that Private Roberts left behind.
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Black History Month Radio Broadcast –
A Conversation with Isabel Wilkerson
5:00pm
90.3 WRST-FM
Join in on A conversation with Isabel Wilkerson about her book, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, focusing on the transfer of Southern culture to the North, creating a new, vibrant culture in the country.
Hosted by: Wendell Ray
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UWO Jazz Ensemble Concert
7:30pm
Theatre Arts Center – UWO Campus
Tickets available for cash at the door
Directed by Dr. Marty Robinson, come out to hear “A special Black History Month performance: “Ellington’s Harlem – A Jazz Portrait”
For questions e-mail Dr. Marty Robinson: robinsm@uwosh.edu
Friday, February 27
3rd Annual Night of “Soulfood and Jazz” with Distinguished Alumn
Maurice “Moe” Wince
5:30pm
Culver Center
Join us as we close out our Black History Month Celebration with Family, Food, and Fellowship.
Free for all UWO Students who present a valid Titan I.D. (No meal plan needed). Faculty, Staff, & Community Members –
$15 per individual – Cash Only!
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Senior Night | UWO Gymnastics
Honoring Achievement Within a Broader Athletic History
6:00pm
Kolf Auditorium
As part of Black History Month, UWO Gymnastics Senior Night recognizes graduating student-athletes while situating their accomplishments within the larger historical narrative of the sport. Gymnastics, like many athletic disciplines, has been shaped by racialized access, visibility, and opportunity. This evening invites reflection on those histories while celebrating the commitment, discipline, and leadership of our seniors.
Saturday, February 28
CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS 2026
6:00pm – Doors open at 5:30
Harper Hall
420 E. College Ave
Lawrence University –
Appleton, WI 54911
Come travel with Black Student Orgs from UWO to Lawrence University in Appleton to celebrate the closing of Black History Month with this amazing event put on by the Lawrence University Black Student Union! You DON’T want to miss this event!
For more information about information about individual events,
contact Dr. Alphonso Simpson at simpsona@uwosh.edu or call (920) 424-7065.