Each February, Black History Month is observed nationwide to recognize and celebrate the achievements, contributions, and resilience of Black individuals and communities. It is also a time to reflect on the ongoing fight for freedom, justice, and equality in the United States, while honoring the leaders, activists, and creatives who paved the way.
About Black History Month
The 2026 Black History Month theme, “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” marks 100 years of honoring Black history, beginning with the establishment of Negro History Week in 1926. Designated by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the theme reflects on the growth of public commemorations and their role in shaping greater recognition, visibility, and progress for Black people in the modern world.
What began as a week-long observance has since grown into Black History Month, officially recognized at the federal level in 1986. Guided by the legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, often called the Father of Black History Month, we are reminded that the study of Black history is not only about honoring the past, but also about building a more just and informed present and future.
Join Ramsey County Library in celebrating Black History Month
Throughout February, Ramsey County Library will host public programs, feature informational displays, and share curated reading lists that uplift Black history, culture, and voices.
General Resources
-
-
-
African American History Month, opens a new window - The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.
-
National Museum of African American History and Culture, opens a new window - It provides an opportunity for those who are interested in African American culture to explore and revel in this history through interactive exhibitions. It helps all Americans see how their stories, their histories, and their cultures are shaped and informed by global influences.
-
-
-
-
-
Library of Congress NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom Exhibit , opens a new window- A retrospective of the NAACP’s history during its first 100 years.
-
-
-
-
-
Slave Voyages, opens a new window - This digital memorial raises questions about the largest slave trades in history and offers access to the documentation available to answer them.
-
-
-
-
-
Black Women's Suffrage, opens a new window - The Black Women’s Suffrage Digital Collection is a collaborative project to provide digital access to materials documenting the roles and experiences of Black Women in the Women’s Suffrage Movement and, more broadly, women’s rights, voting rights, and civic activism between the 1850s and 1960.
-
-
-
-
-
African American History: American Memory from the Library of Congress, opens a new window - 16 collections ranging from music to baseball to slavery.
-
-
-
-
-
The African-American Mosaic: A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Black History & Culture, opens a new window - 500 years of the black experience in the Western hemisphere via the Library of Congress's books, periodicals, prints, photographs, music, film, and recorded sound.
-
-
-
-
-
Learning for Justice, opens a new window - A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) was founded in 1991 to prevent the growth of hate. Learning for Justice provides free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners—who work with children from kindergarten through high school.
-
-
-
-
-
She the People, opens a new window - She the People is activating and mobilizing women of color across the country to create a politics grounded in love, justice, and belonging.
-
-