Black History Month Marks 100 Years Amid Renewed Debates Over Race, History and Education – Free Press of Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Black History Month marks its 100th anniversary this February, reaching the century mark at a time when how America teaches, funds and talks about Black history is once again at the center of political and cultural debate.

What began in 1926 as “Negro History Week,” launched by historian Carter G. Woodson to ensure Black Americans were included in the nation’s historical narrative, has grown into a monthlong observance recognized across schools, churches, museums and community organizations nationwide. The milestone arrives amid renewed scrutiny of diversity programs, restrictions on how race can be discussed in classrooms and concerns from educators that Black history is being marginalized.

“Woodson created this because Black history was being erased from textbooks and public memory,” said Dr. Leonard Moore, a historian at the University of Texas. “A hundred years later, we’re still fighting some of the same battles, which tells you how necessary this work remains.”

In Florida and other states, laws and policy changes affecting how history, race and inequality are taught have led some educators to rethink how they present lessons on slavery, Reconstruction and the civil rights movement. Some school districts have scaled back cultural programming, while nonprofit organizations that serve predominantly Black communities report greater difficulty securing public funding.

“That makes this anniversary especially meaningful,” said Kimberly Daniels, executive director of a Jacksonville-based cultural nonprofit. “When institutions pull back, communities step forward. Black History Month has always been about self-determination — telling our own stories when others won’t.”

Across Jacksonville, churches, libraries and historically Black organizations are hosting exhibits, panel discussions and youth workshops focused on local Black history, including the city’s role in the Great Migration, the 1960 Ax Handle Saturday attacks and the enduring legacy of Black-owned businesses in LaVilla and Durkeeville. Community leaders say the focus this year is not just on national figures, but on everyday people whose stories rarely make textbooks.

“There’s power in showing young people that history lives right down the street,” said Rev. Terrence Wilson, who is organizing a walking tour of historic Black neighborhoods. “When students see themselves in history, they start to believe they belong in the future.”

The anniversary has also renewed calls to preserve Black historical sites and invest in cultural institutions, including efforts to expand state and local Black history museums. Advocates argue that preserving physical spaces is critical at a time when public understanding of Black history is increasingly shaped by social media sound bites rather than sustained education.

For many families, Black History Month remains deeply personal — a time for passing down stories that were once excluded from official records.

“My grandmother used to tell us stories about segregated Jacksonville that we never saw in our schoolbooks,” said Angela Brown, a mother of three who brought her children to a local Black history exhibit this week. “This month gives us permission to center those stories, to say they matter.”

As Black History Month enters its second century, historians say the original mission Woodson envisioned remains unfinished.

“The question isn’t whether Black history deserves a month,” Moore said. “The question is whether this country is finally ready to fully integrate Black history into the American story — not just in February, but every day of the year.”