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February 2, 2026
What does it mean to teach Black history 100 years after the first commemorations began? This milestone moment invites educators to reflect, reimagine and recommit to honoring Black voices in the classroom every day of the year.
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This year marks a powerful milestone for educators: a century of Black history commemorations. One hundred years ago, historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History launched Negro History Week with a goal to ensure Black history was studied, documented and honored as an essential part of the American story.
What began as a week of recognition has grown into a national movement that shapes how we teach and learn. Black History Month 2026 now serves as both a celebration and a call to action, reminding us that Black history isn't confined to February. It is foundational to understanding America, and it belongs in our classrooms year-round.
Over the past century, Black history commemorations have evolved in purpose and power. Early efforts focused on visibility by pushing back against erasure in textbooks and curriculum. Over time, those efforts expanded into reclamation, restoring narratives that had been distorted or ignored and centering everyday people alongside well-known leaders.
Education has always been at the heart of Black history celebrations—and we are the keepers of that legacy.
Each generation of educators has shaped how Black history is remembered and taught. From the Civil Rights Movement to contemporary movements for justice, Black history education reflects both continuity and change.
Education has always been at the heart of Black history celebrations—and we are the keepers of that legacy. As classroom teachers, librarians, counselors and support staff, we all play a crucial role in ensuring that Black stories are not only told but also understood in context.
This work goes beyond highlighting achievements during February. It challenges educators to move past surface-level narratives and explore complexity; to center Black voices and personal experiences in resources; to help students make connections between historical events and today's world; to integrate Black history across subjects, like science, math, literature and the arts; and to create space for students to see themselves reflected in what they learn.
Commemoration isn't just about looking back; it's about shaping the future our students will inherit. This milestone—marking a century of Black history commemorations—invites us to move beyond one-off lessons toward sustained, intentional engagement. It asks us to audit our curriculum for gaps, seek out diverse perspectives, partner with families as co-educators and model critical thinking about whose stories get told.
It asks us to audit our curriculum for gaps, seek out diverse perspectives, partner with families as co-educators and model critical thinking about whose stories get told.
Black history is not a single story, nor is it frozen in time. It is complex, creative, resilient and deeply interconnected with every student's experience. Honoring a century of commemoration means celebrating how far we've come while recognizing what remains possible when we treat history as a living guide for our classrooms.
If you are looking for classroom-ready resources, visit Share My Lesson’s Black History Month Collection for curated lessons, primary sources and teaching tools to support Black history education all year long.
Within this collection, you will find a variety of resources designed to help you effectively celebrate Black history and inspire year-round discussions on the subject. From lesson plans and classroom activities to blogs and free professional development webinars, these resources are meant to support educators in bringing Black history to life in the classroom.
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