The 2026 national theme for Black History Month, “A Century of Black Commemorations,” invites us to reflect on the enduring traditions of remembrance, storytelling, and collective honoring within African American communities.
Black History Month offers an opportunity to center the African American experience, reflecting on the lives, labor, creativity, resistance, and imagination that have shaped this country across generations. It recognizes the legacy of Black Americans who continue to shape our shared histories and culture, including those forced into bondage in the early 17th century and the communities that transformed that violence into movements of liberation and solidarity.
Berkeley Public Library joins in recognizing the accomplishments of African Americans, whether widely known or unsung, and invites our community to honor these histories and ongoing contributions.
Above: Langston Hughes (left) with Eleanor McKinney (right) in the KPFA radio studio, Berkeley, for "KPFA on-the-air," 1958. See image hosted on Calisphere.
Left: Mildred Howard with her sculpture "Delivered, Mable's Promissory Note, 2024. The work was unveiled at the Berkeley Juneteenth Festival 2024 at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr Way and Adeline Street. See: Description of Delivered, Mable's Promissory Note, 2024
