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Black History Month provides all Americans with an opportunity to honor, recognize and celebrate hundreds of years of Black history and heritage, as well as their achievements and contributions to our world, country and communities.
Since 1976, every U.S. President has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. A growing number of other countries are also now devoting a month to honoring and celebrating Black history.
The theme for Black History Month 2024 is “African Americans and the Arts,” which seeks to raise awareness of the influence that African Americans have had in visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression.
Below is a list of events and resources that highlight Black history, including Black Oregonians, and celebrate Black History throughout the month of February and beyond.
Attend (In-person and virtual)
Mariah Rocker at Happy Valley Library - Feb. 20
Mariah Rocker of the Oregon Black Pioneers will highlight key individuals and events that characterize Oregon's unique and centuries-old Black history.
34th Annual Cascade Festival of African Films - Through March 2
In celebration of Black History Month at Portland Community College, films can be viewed in person and online. Free and open to the public.
Northwest Black Comedy Festival - Feb. 15 - Feb. 18
This annual festival features live storytelling, performers, live podcasts, new and upcoming comedians as well as headliners from around the country.
Brown Hope’s Homecoming: Black Soirée - Feb. 15
This event is an opportunity to connect with community in celebration of Black History month.
Truth &Transitions: Living His-Story, as Experienced by Black Men - Feb. 27
Clackamas Community College hosts this storytelling, panel-style event highlighting the experiences of Black men in our community.
Black Artists of Oregon - Through March 31
This exhibit at the Portland Art Museum, which highlights and celebrates the work of Black artists, deepens awareness of the talented artists that have shaped and inspired artists regionally and nationally.
Recognizing and Honoring Black History Month - Through Feb. 27
The Multnomah County Library hosts multiple events including African storytelling and Hip-hop history.
Read
- Celebrate Black History Month 2024 (Smithsonian)
- Black History Themes (Assoc. for the Study of African American Life and History)
- Cultural Expressions and 16 Black Artists to Know (Library of Congress)
- Origins of Black History Month (History Channel)
- A Proclamation on National Black History Month 2024 (White House)
- Black Americans in Early Oregon History (Clackamas County Historical Society)
- The History of Portland’s African American Community (Portland Bureau of Planning)
- Black History in Portland (Travel Portland)
- Oregon Black Pioneers (Oregon Black Pioneers is Oregon’s only historical society dedicated to preserving and presenting the experiences of African Americans statewide)
Watch
- Oregon's Black Pioneers: full documentary (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- Oregon’s Black Pioneers: Season 13 (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
- Black Pioneers on the Oregon Trail (Mt. Adams Institute)