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Black History Month 2026: Health Matters

The annual commemoration celebrates its centennial

Sheeka Sanahori,

AARP

Published January 30, 2026

different events during black history month

As Black History Month celebrates its centennial, consider participating in events and activities to cultivate your understanding of the Black community. (From top left) A visit to the Pasadena (California) Black History Festival and Celebration; a trip to the Hilltop neighborhood in Tacoma, Washington, for its carnival; the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo in Fort Worth, Texas; the Parkland Library’s film series in Louisville, Kentucky; and a health expo at Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta.

AARP (Clockwise from top left: Jamie Pham; Alamy; Leo Loera for Bull Stock Media; Getty Images (2); Leo Loera for Bull Stock Media; Sheeka Sanahori)

This year, Black History Month celebrates its 100th anniversary. In 1926, Carter G. Woodson established a weeklong recognition of African American history and culture. By 1976, the weeklong observation had evolved into a monthlong one. Woodson’s organization, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), is celebrating the milestone by acknowledging a century of Black history commemorations, and many organizations across the country are following suit.

This year, AARP is dedicating Black History Month to health matters of the mind, body and soul. According to a study in the Journal of Urban Health, many Black Americans who are 50 and older experience more instances of chronic illness than their white counterparts. Whether you join one of AARP’s events, which are happening online and in person, or choose to venture to one of the many local Black History Month events likely happening near you, there are plenty of activities occurring across the U.S. that’ll allow you to celebrate.

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Check out the highlighted listings below that honor the Black community.

Bring history alive online

AARP California is hosting a virtual line dancing workshop on Feb. 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The free event will share the story of line dancing in the Black community. Led by Donetta “Doni” Gunnells, a line dance coach, choreographer and instructor, you’ll enjoy music and movement. Researchers have found that music can sharpen memory, reduce stress and stimulate thinking skills, which help maintain brain health. Registration is required.

Join AARP Michigan for a virtual event Feb. 17 focused on nutrition tips. The event, from noon to 1 p.m., will cover how to portion, pair and time food, which can help increase energy, reduce medication and aid in weight loss. Registration is required.

Fort Worth, Texas

One of the country’s longest-running Black rodeos, the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, will open its 42nd year in Fort Worth on Feb. 14. In between rodeo events, such as bull riding and bareback riding, families can check out health resources and information on topics including breast cancer, prostate health, high blood pressure and diabetes. The Bill Pickett Invitational has a partnership with the Black Beauty & Wellness Foundation, a nonprofit that encourages women to live healthier.

There will be two shows Feb. 14, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., at Cowtown Coliseum. Ticket prices vary depending on the time and ticketing platform.

Pasadena, California

A year after the Eaton fire devastated Pasadena and Altadena, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 buildings, the city’s Black History committee is continuing its focus on community care. According to the University of California, Los Angeles, 57 percent of Altadena’s Black homeowners are over age 65, which means the Eaton fire disproportionately affected older Black residents.

Some of Pasadena’s Black History Month programming was canceled or altered last year in the wake of the fire’s devastation. This year, the city brings back some of its programming, but with a focus on continued recovery.

Pasadena will celebrate its Black History Month festival on Feb. 21 at Robinson Park. There won’t be a parade this year, which typically accompanies the festival, but there will be community resource booths representing many local organizations that offer residential and community support. Middle and high school students will also perform, and local food trucks will offer a wide range of cuisines. Organizers say this year’s festival highlights the resilience of the local community.

Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta is hosting the Black Health Matters Winter 2026 Health Summit and Expo.

Danni Grayson Photography

Atlanta

Founded in 1862, Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta is one of the city’s oldest autonomous Black congregations. The historic church helped lay the foundation for what are now Morehouse and Spelman colleges. The congregation continues to serve as a pillar of Black education and wellness today.

On Feb. 21, Friendship Baptist Church will host the Black Health Matters Winter 2026 Health Summit and Expo. The free event, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., will include health screenings, free sessions and other programming intended to address health equity gaps.

Washington, D.C.

As Black History Month celebrates its centennial, the National Museum of African American History and Culture celebrates its 10th anniversary. This February, the Smithsonian Institution museum unveils an exhibit with weekly regional themes. It explains the unique migrations of African Americans and the new communities that developed and helped shape icons in sports, politics, the arts and more. The first week focuses on the Great Exodus, when Black families migrated from the South to Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma after Reconstruction. Week two focuses on families who moved to Northern cities, and the third week focuses on migration to the West Coast. The final week looks back at Southern states, where Black families across the country could return and reconnect with family and culture.

Entry to the National Museum of African American History and Culture is free, but timed-entry tickets must be reserved. Tickets can be reserved up to a month prior to your visit.

Tacoma, Washington

Chicago

AARP Illinois will screen Mound Bayou: The Most Remarkable Town in the South on Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. The documentary is about Mound Bayou, Mississippi, a Black town that was founded by formerly enslaved African Americans. It will feature how the town fought for civil rights and contributed to the global economy. Registration is required for the free screening.

Parkland Library in Louisville, Kentucky, is hosting a film series, including a showing of PBS’s “Critical Condition: Health in Black America,” a program that examines racial health disparities in the U.S.

Louisville Metro Government

Louisville, Kentucky

Parkland Library in Louisville’s Parkland neighborhood will host a free Black History Month film series. Every Saturday, the library will show a film, then host a panel discussion featuring University of Louisville faculty. Screened movies include biographies of Zora Neale Hurston and Little Richard, and the 2022 theater-released action-adventure film The Woman King. On Feb. 21, at 1 p.m., the library will show PBS’s Critical Condition: Health in Black America, a 1.5-hour program that examines racial health disparities in America. The series is a partnership between Parkland Library and the university’s Health Sciences Center Office of Health Equity and Engagement.

Sheeka Sanahori is a freelance travel journalist and video producer. She writes about family travel, ancestry travel and the South.

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