Black History Month

The theme for Black History Month in 2025 is "African Americans and Labor" - This theme highlights the significant roles that work—whether free or unfree, skilled or unskilled, vocational or voluntary—has played in the collective experiences of Black individuals. From the agricultural labor of enslaved Africans to the entrepreneurial endeavors within Black communities, labor has been central to Black history and culture.

In 2025, we also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, founded by labor organizer and civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph. This was the first Black union to receive a charter in the American Federation of Labor, marking a significant milestone in labor history.

The theme encourages reflection on how various forms of work have shaped the lives, cultures, and histories of Black people across the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora. It also underscores the importance of understanding labor's impact on Black communities to fully appreciate their histories and contributions.

Black History Month Events

Cascade Festival of African Films
Website: Cascade Festival of African Films
Time: January 31 – March 1, 2025
Venue: Various locations in Portland

Trail Blazers: Celebration of Black History
Website: Portland Trail Blazers Official Site
Time: February 1, 2025, 7:00 PM
Venue: Moda Center, Portland

Black History Month '25: Buffalo Soldiers Documentary Film Screening
Website: 5th Avenue Cinema
Time: February 1, 2025, 4:00 PM
Venue: 5th Avenue Cinema, Portland

Elevate Unity & Alberta Abbey Present: REMEMBERING ROSA PARKS
Website: Alberta Abbey Events
Time: February 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
Venue: Alberta Abbey, Portland

Oregon Black Pioneers - 450 Years in 45 Minutes
Website: Oregon Black Pioneers
Time: February 6, 2025, 5:30 PM
Venue: Portland Community College Cascade, Portland

Lusitano: Black Composer of the Renaissance
Website: The Marian Consort
Time: February 8, 2025, 7:30 PM
Venue: St. Mary's Cathedral, Portland

2025 Black History Month Fashion Show
Website: Fort Vancouver High School Center for International Studies
Time: February 8, 2025, 9:00 AM
Venue: Fort Vancouver High School Center for International Studies, Vancouver, WA

Black to the Land: Communities, Land, and Ownership
Website: Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center.
Time: February 13, 2025, 7:00 PM
Venue: Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, Portland

Black History Month '25: BIPOC Youth Game Day
Website: The Blueprint Foundation.
Time: February 15, 2025, 10:00 AM
Venue: The Blueprint Foundation Community Center, Portland

2025 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival
Website: Portland Jazz Festival
Time: February 20 – March 1, 2025
Venue: Various venues in Portland

Northwest Black Comedy Festival
Website: Northwest Black Comedy Festival
Time: February 20–23, 2025
Venue: Curious Comedy Theater and Alberta Abbey, Portland

Black History Month '25: Get Grounded - A BIPOC Tree Planting Workshop
Website: Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Time: February 22, 2025, 9:00 AM
Venue: Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge

The People's Poets 3rd Annual Black History Month Showcase
Website: Barrel Room
Time: February 23, 2025, 5:00 PM
Venue: Barrel Room, Portland

Shari Dunn Book Launch: QUALIFIED
Website: Powell's City of Books
Time: February 25, 2025, 4:30 PM
Venue: Powell's City of Books, Portland

Tools of Survival: Art, Storytelling, Liberation, and Hope
Website: Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center
Time: February 26, 2025, 7:00 PM
Venue: Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, Portland

Donations
https://voiceofwitness.org/racial-justice-organizations/

Local Organizations/Resources
https://www.beavertonblackpeoplesunion.org/
https://www.westsideconnector.com/
https://www.imagineblack.org/
https://www.coalitioncommunitiescolor.org/
https://www.uniteoregon.org/
https://ulpdx.org/
https://www.thebpi.org/
https://www.multco.us/children-and-family-health-services/healthy-birth-initiative
https://centralcityconcern.org/recovery-location/imani-center/
https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Black-African-American/

Local Businesses
https://tualatinvalley.org/activities/arts-culture-museums/black-owned-businesses/
https://jelanasbakeshop.com/
https://www.lucilleandanniespoundcakes.com/
https://iloveblackfood.com/
https://creolemeup.com/
https://nesacemedia.com/

Videos
Why Did Europeans Enslave Africans? (youtube.com)
Why Do We Say "African American"? - YouTube
The Origin of Race in the USA (youtube.com)
The Racist Origins of U.S. Law (youtube.com)
The Black Explorer Erased From History (youtube.com)
Tuskegee: Where a Hospital Became a Battleground (youtube.com)
How You See Me

1619 Project (Also a Hulu series and Podcast!)
The 1619 Project - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Seneca Village
https://www.centralparknyc.org/articles/seneca-village

Oregon’s Black Pioneers--OPB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRbzoVS0c0M

Black People in Oregon
Black People in Oregon (oregonencyclopedia.org)

National Museum of African American History and Culture
Celebrate Black History Month 2024 | National Museum of African American History and Culture (si.edu)

History-Making Black Americans
https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/g25954127/african-american-historical-figures/

Books
https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2023/10/books-black-authors-reading-list

Podcasts
https://theeverygirl.com/black-history-podcasts/

Film
https://www.afi.com/news/black-history-month-movie-guide/

Black Activists and Educators to Follow on Social Media
https://tgwstudio.com/black-influencers-organizations-activists-to-follow-on-instagram/
https://theinfluenceagency.com/blog/black-activists-to-follow/