CINCINNATI – The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will host five dynamic programs throughout February 2026 in honor of Black History Month, featuring thought provoking speakers, film screenings, a performance showcase and an interactive workshop. All programs are included with museum admission and are open to the public.
February 2026 marks 100 years of remembering and celebrating Black History, a legacy rooted in the work of Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Dr. Woodson, inspired by attending a 50th anniversary celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1915, worked to launch Negro History Week in 1926. The annual observance expanded to Black History Month in 1976 and continues today as a time to research, preserve, interpret and celebrate Black life, history and culture around the world.
“Black History Month is a moment of reflection; however Black history is not confined to one month or tucked away in an archive,” said Shawnee Turner, VP, Education and Interpretation at the Freedom Center. “It is a living story we continue to uncover and honor every day.”
The Freedom Center’s Black History Month lineup includes programs developed in partnership with local and national organizations, including Elementz and the Attucks-Lee Banneker Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
A marquee highlight is a lecture and book signing by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black during Fifth Third Community Day on February 15. Accompanying Dr. Fields-Black are fellow historians, scholars and authors Dr. Karen Sutton, Dr. Mark Attucks, Muriel Roberts and Nikki Williams Sebastian. Museum admission is free that day, thanks to the Fifth Third Foundation.
