Celebrating Black History Month in Colorado and beyond

By:
Jan. 22, 2025
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.

Check out Black History Live: Harriet Tubman from 5:30-7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8 at the museum. The Colorado Humanities’ Black History Live tour features the living-history portrayal of Harriet Tubman in a first-person dramatization. The monologue last about 40 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of Q&A. The event is free, but registration is required.

Alisa Banks: Unerased

The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College hosts an exhibit in the Holaday and Seagraves Galleries from Feb. 7 to Sept. 6, 2025.

Alisa Banks: Unerased displays the multi-dimensional works of Alisa Banks. Banks is a book, fiber and multimedia artist who explores the links between contemporary culture, her Louisiana Creole heritage and the African diaspora, including those of African descent who were torn from their homeland.

Fort Collins

 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.

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About the author

Erin Emery is a writer for 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.