Celebrating Black History Month in Colorado and beyond

Jan. 17, 2024
Tuskegee airmen pose in front of their plane's propeller in Alabama in July of 1945. From left to right, standing, Hubert L. Jones, John W. Mosley, George H. O'Martin and from left to right, kneeling, Mitchell Greene, John Bruner, and Keith I. Stanigan. Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library Special Collections.
Tuskegee airmen pose in front of their plane’s propeller in Alabama in July of 1945. From left to right, standing, Hubert L. Jones, John W. Mosley, George H. O’Martin and from left to right, kneeling, Mitchell Greene, John Bruner, and Keith I. Stanigan. Photo courtesy of Denver Public Library Special Collections.

February marks Black History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black people. You can join in celebrations in your community or take advantage of excellent online programs all month long.

AAA Colorado recommends visiting these 8 great places in Colorado to honor the history and legacy of African Americans in Colorado. And the National Park Service has a lesson plan for each day in February to enhance learning.

In nearly every region in Colorado, there are multiple opportunities to celebrate.

Denver

  • The Denver Public Library offers great opportunities to learn and celebrate Black History Month in February. One branch of the Denver Public Library, the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library, is devoted to African American research and offers a multitude of ways to explore Black history during February and all year long.
  • Denver has many events to highlight Black History Month. Check out the list here.

Colorado Springs

The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, which is free to the public, is proud to share Black history every day in multiple exhibits.

Black History Series: Black Wings Family Day

The museum is also hosting: Black Wings Family Day.  

  • Families are invited to enjoy science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Family-Friendly STEM activities presented by the Space Foundation Discovery Center.
  • During this time there will also be a selection of food trucks in the Hillside Community Center parking lot.

The event is from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at the Hillside Community Center, 925 S. Institute St. The historical reenactment starts at 2 p.m. The event is free, but people should register.

Clarence Shivers: Experimenting with Form

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College hosts an exhibit in the Holaday and Seagraves Galleries from Feb. 2 to July 6, 2024.

Over the course of his career, Clarence Shivers (1923-2007) demonstrated a commitment to artistic experimentation, working across different media—both two- and three-dimensional—and cultivating a range of stylistic approaches, according to the FAC website.

A Tuskegee Airman—and career military person—one of Shivers’ most celebrated works is his statue dedicated to these pilots and their legacies, located at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

For more information, please click here.

Fort Collins

  • The City of Fort Collins offers this virtual tour to explore places of Black/African American history in Fort Collins.
  • Each February, Colorado State University’s Black/African American Cultural Center highlights the contributions of Black Americans. Learn more about what’s on tap this year.

 Washington, D.C.

A photo of President John F. Kennedy with Martin Luther King, Jr.
Civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., met with President John F. Kennedy in the Oval Office of the White House after the March on Washington in August 1963. Photo courtesy of The Smithsonian Institute.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is offering a wide range of virtual programs for all ages this February.

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society. Learn about all of the events.

About the author

Erin Emery is editor of UCHealth Today, a hub for medical news, inspiring patient stories and tips for healthy living. Erin spent years as a reporter for The Denver Post, Colorado Springs Gazette and Colorado Springs Sun. She was part of a team of Denver Post reporters who won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting.

Erin joined UCHealth in 2008, and she is awed by the strength of patients and their stories.