U of A Plans Slate of Events Celebrating Black History Month 2024

February is Black History Month, and the U of A is celebrating with a series of events on the university’s campus and in the Northwest Arkansas community.

Black History Month, or National African American History Month, is an annual celebration of the accolades, achievements, and successes of Black and African Americans. It also provides a time to honor and recognize the central and significant role that African Americans have and continue to play in U.S. history.

Black History Month grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans in 1926. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

The U of A recently kicked off its celebrations with a panel discussion on Black Women in Society and Resolutions, followed by the First Friday in the Multicultural Center.

February 2nd also marked the anniversary of Silas Hunt’s enrollment in the U of A Law School in 1948, making the University of Arkansas the first Southern university to integrate in the modern era. 

The full calendar of campus events recognizing Black History Month is available in the graphic below. 

Additional information and events can also be found on the U of A calendar and the U of A’s Multicultural Center. 

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.