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Black History Month 2025

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2025

in collaboration with the Center for Multicultural Affairs

African Americans and Labor

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History presents....

The 2025 Black History Month theme, African Americans and Labor, focuses on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds – free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary – intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. Indeed, work is at the very center of much of Black history and culture. To learn more about the National theme visit their website here.

Calendar of Events

EventDate & TimeLocationHost(s)Link (if applicable)
Lunar New Year & Black History Month CelebrationFeb. 1st
10-11am
Meeting Room B, Chapel Hill Public LibraryChapel Hill Public LibraryN/A
Black History Month Vintage BazaarFeb. 3rd
1-4pm
Bryan Center PlazaPhi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.Register Here
Workshop on Constructive Engagement with Dr. Candis Watts Smith & Dr. Deondra RoseFeb. 5th
9-10am
Zoom (Registration Required)Dr. Candis Watts Smith & Dr. Deondra RoseRegister Here
Pepsi CodingFeb. 5th
6-8pm
McClendon TowersPhi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.Register Here
Black Grad Pro SeriesFeb. 6th
5:30pm
MLWC Programming SpaceMary Lou Williams Center for Black CultureRegister Here
Latin Dance ClassFeb. 6th
7:08pm
McClendon TowersAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., LTA & Duke SabrosuraN/A
Black History Month with DUUFeb. 6th
8-9pm
Devil's Kraft HousePhi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.Register Here
First Friday BreakfastFeb. 7th
9am-12pm
CMACenter for Multicultural AffairsRegister Here
First FridayFeb. 7th
1-3pm
MLWC Programming SpaceMary Lou Williams Center for Black CultureRegister Here
Mary Ann Black Distinguished Health Equity Symposium: Senator Natalie MurdockFeb. 7th
4-6:30pm
JR Ballroom ABC, Durham Convention CenterDuke Cancer Institute COEEPurchase Tickets Here
Black Love, Black Joy Laser TagFeb. 7th
7pm
Duke East CampusBlack Student Alliance (BSA)N/A
Wildin' OutFeb. 7th
7pm
Keohane AtriumDelta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.Register Here
Movie Month - Black History MontFeb. 7th
7pm - Are we there yet?
10pm - The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Griffith Film TheaterDUU Freewater Presentations & Black Student Alliance
BHM Spotlight: Black Women of Jazz with DJ AzzaFeb. 8th
5-8pm
TBDDJ AzzaN/A
Movie Month - Black History MonthFeb. 8th
7pm - The Last Black Man in San Francisco
10pm - Are we there yet?
Griffith Film TheaterDUU Freewater Presentations & Black Student Alliance
Annual Superbowl PartyFeb. 9th
5-10pm
Hollows B, 3rd Floor Common RoomZeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. & Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.Register Here
Charter DayFeb. 10th
All day
N/AKappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.N/A
Stay Woke: A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter - Kick off PanelFeb. 11th
12-12:45pm
Zoom (Registration Required)Anti-Racism ERGMore Information
MLWC Black History Month LectureFeb. 12th
5pm
Penn PavillionMary Lou Williams Center for Black CultureRegister Here
Remarkable Stories of American Black Surgeons in the 19th and Early 20th CenturiesFeb. 13th
5-7pm
Rubenstein Library
Holsti Anderson Family Assembly room 153
Trent History of Medicine Lecture SeriesRegister Here
Samuel Dubois Cook Awards DinnerFeb. 13th
6pm
Washington Duke InnSamuel Dubois Cook SocietyRegister Here
Climate CafesFeb. 14th
10-11am
Center for Gender and Sexual DiversityDuke Climate Commitment, Black Student Alliance (BSA), & NAACPRegister Here
Kandy GramzFeb. 14th
10am-12pm
MLWC Programming SpaceZeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. & Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.Register Here
Kupid BallFeb. 14th
7pm
President Suite, Blue Devil TowerKappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.Register Here
Minorities in Medicine Feb. 15th
12pm
Penn Pavillion, Garden RoomKappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.Register Here
Coffee ConnectedFeb. 15th
2:30pm
TBDSanford School of Public PolicyN/A
Movie Month - Black History MonthFeb. 15th
7pm - If Beale Street Could Talk
10pm - Poetic Justice
Griffith Film TheaterDUU Freewater Presentations & Black Student Alliance
Sundae Study HallFeb. 16th
2-3pm
Keohane AtriumKappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.Register Here
uBm Duke v UVA MBB Watch PartyFeb. 17th
8-10pm
MLWC Programming SpaceMary Lou Williams Center for Black CultureRegister Here
Trap YogaFeb. 17th
6:30-7:45pm
CSGDNPHC & Black Student Alliance (BSA)N/A
Stay Woke: A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives MatterFeb. 18th
12-12:45pm
Zoom (Registration Required)Anti-Racism ERGMore information
Zetaversity IIFeb. 18th
6-9pm
Friedl 126Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.N/A
Black Week: BSA X MLWC: Line Dancing(Country)Feb. 18th
7-9pm
MLWC Programming SpaceBlack Student Alliance (BSA)Register Here
2025 McGovern Lecture: Kimberly D. Manning, MDFeb. 19th
5:30pm
Great Hall, Trent Semans CenterTrent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of MedicineRegister Here
Black History Month DinnerFeb. 19th
5-9pm
Wall Center - East CampusMary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture & Duke DiningRegister Here
Black Week: Jazz @ Feb. 19th
6-8pm
MLWC Programming SpaceJazz @ - DUURegister Here
Black Love Movie MarathonFeb. 20th
All Day
CSGDCenter for Sexual and Gender DiversityN/A
Duke @ 100: A Critical LensFeb. 20th
9am-4pm
Franklin Humanities Institute
Smith Warehouse, Bay 4
Duke African and African American Studies DepartmentN/A
The Jerome M. Culp, Jr. Critical Theory LectureFeb. 20th
12:30pm
Room 3041, Duke Law SchoolDuke Law Center on Law, Race & PolicyRegister Here
Relax with The LouFeb. 20th
5-6pm
MLWC Programming SpaceMary Lou Williams Center for Black CultureTBA
Black Week: BWU X C100 (R&B Trivia)Feb.20th
7-8:30pm
Devil's Kraft HouseBlack Student Alliance(BSA), Black Women's Union (BWU), & C100N/A
IM a NaturalFeb. 20th
7:08pm
McClendon TowersAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.N/A
Heritage & Harmony TeaFeb. 21st
2-4pm
TBDWomen's Center & Mary Lou Williams Center for Black CultureN/A
Book Talk with Author Davarian L. BaldwinFeb. 21st.
2-3pm
Sanford SchoolPolicy for the People, Sanford School of Public PolicyN/A
Michelle CannFeb. 21st
7:30pm
Baldwin AuditoriumDuke ArtsRegister Here
Movie Month - Black History MonthFeb. 21st
7pm - Set It Off
10pm - Spiderman Across the Spiderverse
Griffith Film TheaterDUU Freewater Presentations & Black Student Alliance
Black History Month SpeakeazyFeb. 21st
9pm-11am
MLWC Programming SpaceZeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.N/A
Black Week: SOCA X Duke Africa - AfroSoca PartyFeb. 21st
9pm-1am
Gothic GrillBlack Student Alliance (BSA), SOCA, & Duke AfricaN/A
Black Policy ConferenceFeb. 22nd
9am-4pm
Sanford SchoolSanford School of Public PolicyRegister Here
Faith in FilmsFeb. 22nd
4pm
Goodson ChapelUnited in PraiseN/A
Movie Month - Black History MonthFeb. 22nd
7pm - Spiderman Across the Spiderverse
10pm - Set It Off
Griffith Film TheaterDUU Freewater Presentations & Black Student Alliance
Chef's Demo w/ James Beard Award-Winning Chef, Ricky MooreFeb. 24th
5-7pm
The Chef's KitchenDuke DiningRegister Here
Stay Woke: A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives MatterFeb. 25th
12-12:45pm
Zoom (Registration Required)Anti-Racism ERGMore Information
Ramadan 101Feb. 25th
5pm
MLWC Programming SpaceMary Lou Williams Center for Black CultureRegister Here
LQcked In: Study SessionsFeb. 25th
6-8pm
Bolton Family RoomDelta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.N/A
IM Black History Month EventFeb. 25th
6-8pm
McClendon Towers 5Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
The Thesis LabFeb. 27th
5-7pm
MLWC Programming SpaceMary Lou Williams Center for Black CultureN/A
Royal Blue CrewFeb. 27th
7-9pm
Cameron IndoorZeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. & Blue CrewRegister Here
Art and African DiasporaFeb. 28th
7:08pm
McClendon TowersAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.N/A
Movie Month - Black History MonthFeb. 28th
5pm - Soul w/ Jazz @
Outdoor Screening, BC PlazaDUU Freewater Presentations & Black Student Alliance
Movie Month - Black History Month March 1st
7pm - Sing Sing
10pm - All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt
Griffith Film TheaterDUU Freewater Presentations & Black Student Alliance


Most of the events listed will be able to be found on DukeGroups! Some of these events may also have a "Black History Month" tag on the platform. For more on Black History Month, email marylou@duke.edu.


More

Black History Month is a celebration of all aspects of Black culture and the diaspora during the month of February. Originally founded as Negro History Week in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson and his organization the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), the second week of February was chosen because of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The celebration was later expanded to a month in 1976, the nation’s bicentennial. That year, fifty years after the first celebration, the association held the first African American History Month. A theme is chosen every year by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History as a guiding principle for the month's celebrations. The theme for 2024 is African Americans and the Arts. The Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture centralizes the efforts of student Black affinity organizations during the month of February for celebrating the history and culture of Black people in America. Throughout the month, discussions will be held addressing relevant issues of the day.

  • Submitted resources
    • Qwest TV EDU- a video streaming channel created by Quincy Jones and showcasing Black music and global sounds. Features a wide range of musical genres and styles, including jazz, the blues, soul, funk, world music, electronic music, classical music, and much more.
    • HistoryMakers Digital Archive View- features oral history video interviews with thousands of historically significant African Americans. Discover Black painters, musicians, actors, dancers, playwrights, filmmakers, sculptors, and others in the arts.
    • The Nasher Museum presents 'María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold,' a monographic exhibition of a visionary voice in photography, immersive installation, painting and performance. The first multimedia survey of the artist’s work since 2007, 'Behold' highlights the artist’s dedication to creating new modes of understanding, as well as her engagement with interconnected historical and present-day challenges. These themes are examined through Campos-Pons’s performance-based practice and centering of Yoruba-derived Santería symbolism, as well as her work with communities in Boston, Cuba, Italy and Nashville (her current residence). The exhibition will be on view, February 15 – June 09, 2024.
  • Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture
  • Black Student Affinity Space
  • The Center for Multicultural Affairs & the Identity and Cultural Centers
  • Duke Black Alumni (DBA)
  • 100 Collegiate Black Men/ @duke100bm
  • Black Law Student Association/ @dukelawblsa
  • Black Pre-Law Society/ @dukepbls
  • Black Student Alliance/ @dukebsa
  • Black Women's Union/ @duke_bwu
  • Duke Africa/ @duke.africa
  • Duke Ethiopian/Eritrean Student Transnational Association(DESTA)/ @dukedesta
  • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP)/ @dukenaacp
  • Minority Association of Premedical Students/ @dukemaps
  • Nakisai African Dance Ensemble/ @dukenakisaiade
  • National PanHellenic Council(NPHC)/ @dukenphc
  • National Society of Black Engineers(NSBE)/ @dukensbe
  • Students of the Caribbean Association(SOCA)/ @dukesoca
  • United Black Athletes/ @duke.uba
  • United in Praise/ @duke_unitedinpraise

The organizations listed here aren't the only Black diasporic-identified/affiliated organizations! Find these organizations on Duke Groups or Instagram! Want your organization to be added to this list or need to make an edit? Please email mikala.king@duke.edu .

  • Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture
  • Center for Multicultural Affairs

Plaza Banner Facts

Have you seen the lightpole banners on the Plaza (as of Feb. 1) and want to learn more about the person, group, or event highlighted? Click on each topic below to expand and learn more.

black wall street text with yellow, red, green and blue accents, with cut out photo of black wall street historical signSource: Duke Chronicle article from January 21, 2022

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Durham’s Black Wall Street housed a vibrant and successful variety of Black-owned businesses. A set of four blocks on Parrish Street, Black Wall Street served as a hub for Black Americans and was a thriving commercial area with tailors, barbers, drugstores and more. It put Durham on the map as the capital of the Black middle class in America, and the Bull City became nationally renowned for fostering Black entrepreneurship.

“Durham was known as the ‘mecca of the Black South’ because so much attention was paid to Durham’s economy,” said Paul Scott, founder of the Durham-based Black Messiah Movement and an activist who has worked to raise awareness about Black history in Durham.

Black Wall Street flourished during the Reconstruction era, at a time of racial tension and systematic discrimination against Black Americans.

The success of Black Wall Street was fueled by the efforts of two businesses that remain today: NC Mutual Life Insurance Company and Mechanics & Farmers Bank.

Today, NC Mutual Life Insurance Company is the largest Black-owned insurance business in the world. M&F Bank is the second oldest minority-owned bank in the United States and was also the first Black-owned bank in Durham.

dr. samuel dubois cook text with yellow, red, green and blue accents, with cut out photo of dr. cook with a red shadowDr. Samuel Cook - First Black tenured faculty member joined Duke in 1966 

Cook is Duke’s first black tenured professor, joining the faculty in 1966, three years after the university’s student body desegregated. He is also the first African American to hold a regular faculty appointment at any predominantly white college or university in the South. A graduate of Morehouse College, he was classmates with Martin Luther King, Jr. He later became the president of Dillard University, a historically black university in New Orleans. Now retired, Duke honors his legacy annually with an awards banquet.

black student alliance text with yellow, red, green and blue accents, with cut out photo of the group BSA, Black Student Alliance was established in 1967 and promotes academic achievement and intellectual pursuit, cultivates dynamic leadership, and strives to eliminate social barriers for all.

 

Learn more about BSA

the allen building takeover text with yellow, red, green and blue accents, with 3 polaroids of the daySource: Duke Libraries

On February 13, 1969, between 50 and 75 Duke University students (many of whom were members of the Afro-American Society) occupied the Allen Building (Duke's main administration building) to bring attention to the needs of African-American students. These needs included an African-American studies department, a black student union, protection from police harassment, and increased enrollment and financial support for black students.

The students remained barricaded in the Allen Building for most of the day, leaving sometime after 5:00 PM after an ultimatum from the Duke administration. Although their exit was peaceful, a large crowd of mostly white students had gathered outside the building during the day, and this crowd and the police became entangled. The police fired tear gas on the students, prompting further campus protests.

In March, after discussions between the Afro-American Society and the administration over the development of the African-American Studies program ended in disagreement, Duke students and their supporters marched in downtown Durham. Dozens of Duke's African-American students threatened to leave campus to attend the Malcolm X Liberation University, a newly-developed school led by community activist Howard Fuller. On March 19, 1969, a University Hearing Committee found the students who had occupied the Allen Building guilty of violating university regulations. All defendants were sentenced to one year of probation.

This powerful demonstration became known as the Allen Building Takeover.

wilhelmina reuben-cooke text with yellow, red, green and blue accents, with a cutout folder of her from when she was a student in front of her namesake buildingWilhelmina Reuben-Cooke becomes the first Black woman to have a campus building named after her on September 24, 2020.