Black History Month 2026 is shaped by the national theme “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” with events highlighting a hundred years of organized efforts to study, honor, and share Black history across the United States. From major Smithsonian programs in Washington, D.C., to local festivals in places like Santa Monica and Las Vegas, communities are marking the month with performances, exhibitions, talks, and family-focused celebrations.
2026 national theme
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), founded by Carter G. Woodson, has set the 2026 theme as “A Century of Black History Commemorations.” This theme invites people to reflect on how Black communities, schools, churches, and cultural institutions have organized commemorations since the early 20th century and how those efforts have transformed public understanding of U.S. history.
ASALH’s 2026 festival and related programming encourage exploration of both past and present—connecting early Negro History Week observances to today’s nationally recognized Black History Month. The theme also underscores that commemorations themselves are forms of activism, education, and cultural preservation that continue to shape civic life.
Smithsonian and D.C.-area highlights
In Washington, D.C., federal cultural institutions are again at the center of national Black History Month observances in 2026. The official BlackHistoryMonth.gov site showcases signature events and exhibitions hosted by the Smithsonian and partner institutions.
Notable highlights include:
- An “Author Talk: Love is a Renaissance” featuring Isabel Ibañez and RaShonda Tate on February 12, 2026, offering a literary exploration tied to themes of love, resilience, and cultural renaissance.
- A performance by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, “Jazz with a Cuban Tinge,” also on February 12, connecting African American jazz traditions with Afro-Caribbean musical currents.
- “Through the African American Lens: Our Blues Make Us Gold,” a February 21 program examining Black musical traditions and their cultural impact.
- “Washington National Opera’s ‘Treemonisha’: Behind the Scenes,” on February 23, highlighting Scott Joplin’s groundbreaking opera and its place in Black cultural history.
Across the Smithsonian, Black History Month programming is anchored by exhibitions such as “At the Vanguard” at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which brings together collections from several historically Black colleges and universities to tell interconnected stories of creativity, struggle, and leadership. Additional events include programs like “Historic Change: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Althea Gibson,” focusing on the pioneering Black tennis champion and her broader significance in sports and civil rights history.
Beyond the Smithsonian, family-friendly events in the wider D.C.–Maryland–Virginia region provide hands-on ways to engage with Black history. These include Black History Month craft sessions at public libraries, youth-focused performances such as “George Washington Carver & Friends,” and concerts like “Still We Rise,” which combine spirituals, dance, poetry, and storytelling to trace African American experience from the Civil War era to the present.
West Coast and California events
On the West Coast, cities and cultural hubs are organizing festivals, performances, and educational experiences that reflect local Black histories and futures.
In California and the broader region:
- At San Francisco’s Chase Center, Thrive City is hosting a Black History Month Celebration on Sunday, February 1, featuring live entertainment with performers such as Queen Iminah, AAFE Queens Rising, The Prospect Band, Veotis Latchinson, and Flygerian Jeff, along with arts and crafts and Black-centered food vendors.
- Forest Lawn–Glendale is presenting a free “Black History Month Performance and Community Event” on January 31, 2026, with music, dance, poetry, and keynote talks that explore African American experiences and cultural contributions.
- The Springs Preserve in Las Vegas is holding a Black History Month Festival on Saturday, February 14, 2026, offering a daytime celebration with educational programming and community activities.
In and around Los Angeles, 2026 brings a wide slate of events celebrating Black history, culture, and creativity. A Black History Month program at the Bridget “Biddy” Mason Center, hosted by the Los Angeles County African American Employees Association, uses guided visits to historic sites to tell the story of Biddy Mason and other Black Angelenos who helped shape the region. Other events include block parties, outdoor festivals, and concerts featuring Black-owned vendors, authors, and the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, billed as the largest majority-Black orchestra in the country, performing a special Black History Month concert at Los Angeles Trade Technical College on February 28.
Santa Monica and local community programs
Santa Monica is offering its own lineup of 2026 events tied to the “A Century of Black History Commemorations” theme. The city’s programming emphasizes both local history and broader cultural celebration.
Key Santa Monica events include:
- “SMPL Presents: The Iconic House of Ninja” at the Main Library’s Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium, highlighting the legacy of the House of Ninja and the influence of Black and queer communities on ballroom culture, performance, and self-expression.
- A city hall ceremony honoring Eddie Davis, Santa Monica’s first Black firefighter, recognizing his service and the barriers he faced in the 1960s.
- The 11th Annual Greens Festival at Virginia Avenue Park, a family-friendly gathering that blends food, music, vendors, and community resources in a celebration of Black culture and neighborhood ties.
- A Black History Month movie screening of “Ruby Bridges” at the Main Library, introducing families to the story of the young girl who integrated a New Orleans elementary school and became a symbol of courage in the civil rights era.
- “Home Under One’s Skin” at Historic Belmar Park, a site-specific experience that connects visitors to layered histories of Black life, displacement, and community-building on the Westside.
Together, these local events show how Black History Month is not just commemorated in national museums but lived out in city halls, parks, libraries, and neighborhood spaces that carry their own stories.
Family learning, arts, and community engagement
Across the country, many 2026 Black History Month events are designed to engage families and young people through creativity, performance, and hands-on learning. Craft workshops, youth theater, interactive museum programs, and outdoor festivals make Black history accessible while centering joy, resilience, and community care.
Family-oriented activities include craft afternoons where children create quilts and collages inspired by Black artistic traditions, youth-friendly plays that introduce figures like George Washington Carver, and family days at cultural parks that combine tours, demonstrations, and storytelling. Outdoor festivals—from Thrive City’s celebration in San Francisco to block parties and “Black Future” gatherings in Los Angeles—highlight Black-owned businesses, music, wellness resources, and author showcases, demonstrating how Black History Month is also about imagining and building futures.
Taken together, Black History Month 2026 events demonstrate how a century of organized commemoration continues to evolve, bringing history into living rooms, libraries, concert halls, streets, and digital spaces where people of all ages can learn, reflect, and celebrate.
