February 4, 2026
BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA
WEEKLY DISPATCH
By Leslie Fields-Cruz
As Black History Month marks 100 years of celebrations, do Americans have the collective will to keep it going?
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Black History celebrations in the United States of America. Back in 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson and his colleagues organized the first Negro History Week observance, I wonder if they could imagine just how transformative their efforts would become.
More than 50 years after the first Negro History Week, Gerald R. Ford became the first American president to issue a proclamation formally recognizing Black History Month in 1976. Still another decade passed before Congressional legislation designated February as Black History Month in 1986. By then, others had caught Woodson’s vision. It went on to extend beyond our national borders. Today, annual Black History celebrations are scheduled in nations across the globe — including Australia, Canada, Columbia, Costa Rica, Germany, Ireland, Panama, and the United Kingdom.
Shoring Up the Vunerabilities
Recent efforts to abolish Black History Month in the U.S. have, so far, had minimal impact. Still, the storm has been gathering for a while. It was the focus of Shukree Hassan Tilghman’s 2012 documentary, More than a Month. These days, swelling contempt for all things considered DEI leaves the observance of Black History Month vulnerable. It makes me wonder if Americans have the collective will to keep the observance going?
For media makers interested in producing Black history stories, contempt for the topic poses both a creative and an economic threat. Ensuring the survival of Black History Month is the responsibility of every American who understands its importance and the many ways it benefits our richly diverse society.
Not All Black Stories Are About History
When BPM first launched its AfroPoP series in 2008, many public television stations were eager to schedule it during the month of February. But AfroPoP was never designed to focus on history and it welcomes stories from throughout the African diaspora, not just within the African American experience. We intentionally release new AfroPoP seasons in the spring — long after Black History Month is over — to underscore these points. But that doesn’t mean we devalue Black history.
Many public television stations still schedule AfroPoP in February, but others have come to understand that stories like the ones featured in AfroPoP can air at any time throughout the year. Concomitantly, Black history films are no longer restricted to airing in February. They’re suitable to air in any season. I don’t know about you, but that feels like progress to me.
Black History Month is Extraordinary
Black History Month offers an extraordinary opportunity for Americans to focus on the contributions, achievements and struggles Black folks have experienced over time in this corner of the world; often in the face of formidable hardship. We hope you’ll tune in to the abundance of Black history content airing on public media this month and beyond, especially if you have young people in your household. Historic erasure hobbles a society’s ability to advance. We owe it to both our ancestors and our children to keep Woodson’s vision alive and thriving for hundreds more years to come.
Woodson Photo from the Library of Congress’ 1947 Manuscript division