The roots of Black History Month can be traced back to black historian and journalist Carter G. Woodson who helped found Negro History Week in 1926. The event coincided with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist Frederick Douglass during the second week of February.
Honoring the contributions of black Americans expanded from black communities in the 1950s and 1960s to schools and city halls across the country, as teachers and mayors took part too. The celebration was expanded to the entire month of February in 1976.
During the month of February, KISS 104.1 celebrates and highlights the accomplishments of black history.
Black History Month 2026 Events
2026 Black History Month Heritage Night Celebration
Date: February 11
Start Time: 6:30pm
Location: Gwinnett Civic Engagement
Join us as we honor the 100th year of Black History Month, recognizing the national theme “A Century of Black History Commemorations”, which will acknowledge the impact, culture, and history of Black People at Gwinnett County’s 2026 Black History Month Celebration.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Date: February 11 - 15, 2026
Start Time: Various
Location: Fox Theater
Experience three premieres that will delight and surprise you: Jamar Roberts’ Song of the Anchorite, Fredrick Earl Mosley’s Embrace, and Medhi Walerski’s Blink of an Eye. The season also features treasures from the company’s repertory—including a new production of Judith Jamison’s moving duet A Case of You, Ronald K. Brown’s pulse-pounding Grace, and Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, the ultimate anthem to resilience and joy that has moved and uplifted fans for decades.
Black Health Matters Winter 2026 Health Summit & Expo
Date: February 21
Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Location: Friendship Baptist Church
Atlanta, Get Ready! Join us for the Black Health Matters Winter Health Summit & Expo on Saturday, Feb 21st - a transformative day of health, wellness, and fun, entirely focused on YOU. Dive into vital topics, from Autoimmune Diseases to Oncology, and engage with top health providers to gain insight into better health!
NAACP DeKalb Black History Month Program
Date: February 21
Time: 10am - 12pm (noon)
Location: Rainbow Park Baptist Church
The Madame CJ Walker Museum
Date: Tuesday - Friday
Start Time: 12pm (Noon) - 4pm
What makes the story of Madame C.J. Walker even more remarkable is that she accomplished this benchmark at a time when neither African-Americans nor women were allowed an equal economic and political footing.
