Black History Month – 2025

Background

The celebration of Black History Month began with historian Carter G. Woodson in the late 19^th century. Born to former slaves in West Virginia, Dr. Woodson worked his way out of the coal mines and into a Harvard education. He became a historian and journalist dedicated to increasing awareness of Black history and heritage. In 1915 he founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Following that, he launched the seminal Journal of Negro History. Later, Dr. Woodson created Negro History Week to observe and celebrate the contributions of African Americans throughout history. 

Thanks in great part to Dr. Woodson’s efforts, President Gerald R. Ford would go on to establish Black History Month as a nationally observed celebration in February 1976. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated February as Black History Month.

ASALH still chooses the theme of Black History Month every year; this year’s theme is African Americans and Labor. In 2025, we recognize and celebrate the many ways in which Black Americans have contributed to working and labor throughout our history – “free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary” – as well as their leadership in various labor rights movements. This month, our spotlight highlights resources to learn more about Black leadership and labor – in February and all year long.

Association for the Study of African American Life & History (ASALH)

The organization behind Black History month has a variety of educational resources, publications, programs and events dedicated to Black history and culture. It also creates the annual themes to focus on a specific aspect of Black contributions to American history. See ASALH’s executive summary on African Americans and Labor here.

National Museum of African American History & Culture

You don’t have to travel to Washington D.C. to visit this Smithsonian museum; you can view many of its exhibits online. Check out the special Black History Month exhibition, Invisible Changemakers of Industry, as well as the African Americans at Work photo essay.

The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center

The oldest independent African American museum in the nation is right here in Chicago! Visit the DuSable Center in person or check out their online exhibitions. Keep an eye out for Kathryn Magnolia Johnson, one of the “unsung heroes” from our brunch and learn, in her own exhibit – “Fighting Racism in the Trenches”.

Additional Resources

You can find more information on Black history and leaders through unions, government organizations, and local educators. Visit the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame through the National Park Service to learn more about familiar faces and unsung heroes. Expand your knowledge of Black labor leaders with resources from the Department of Labor or the National Education Association. For at-home history lessons, try Ernest Crim III’s 29 Black History Facts You Probably Didn’t Learn in School, a short-form video course through CBS Chicago. A more in-depth video course is also available through Crash Course: Black American History with author and scholar Clint Smith.

Read with us!

If you’d like to celebrate Black History Month beyond February, consider joining the DEI Subcommittee’s informal “book club”. We choose a book every few months to expand our knowledge or perspectives, then meet after work to discuss. Our latest pick is James, a novel by distinguished author Percival Everett that received the 2024 National Book Award for Fiction. James reimagines Mark Twain’s classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, who has escaped slavery. If you’re interested in joining us, or you just want to find out more, contact Cassidy Connolly by email.

Sources

Association for the Study of African American Life and History. (2025). 2025 Black History Theme Executive Summary: African Americans and Labor. https://asalh.org/black-history-themes/.

CBS Chicago. (2024, February 29). 29 Black History facts you probably didn’t learn in school. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/29-black-history-facts-you-probably-didnt-learn-in-school/.

Crash Course. (2022, November 9). Black American History. https://thecrashcourse.com/topic/bah/.

The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. (2023). Fighting Racism in the Trenches: A Colored Woman in World War I. https://dusablemuseum.org/exhibition/fighting-racism-in-the-trenches-a-colored-woman-in-wwi/.

National Education Association. (2023, January 26). 5 Black Leaders that Shaped the Labor Movement. https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/5-black-leaders-shaped-labor-movement.

National Museum of African American History & Culture. (n.d.). African Americans at Work: A Photo Essay. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/african-americans-at-work.

National Museum of African American History & Culture. (n.d.). Invisible Changemakers of Industry. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/black-history-month.

National Park Service. (n.d.) About the International Civil Rights: Walk of Fame. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.nps.gov/features/malu/feat0002/wof/index.htm.

Office of Public Affairs. (2024, January 17). 8 Black Women Labor Leaders You Should Know. U.S. Department of Labor Blog. https://blog.dol.gov/2024/01/17/8-black-women-labor-leaders-you-should-know.