This February, the African American Heritage Committee of the Chicago Public Library invites you to celebrate Black History Month in a monumental way! In 2026, we celebrate with a unique theme: "From Archives to Innovation: The Power of Black Librarianship" in which we highlight the social, critical, and cultural impact of Black librarians.
Events
See featured events below and view all 2026 Black History Month Events here.
Featured
Musical Lunch at the Library with Windy Indie: Celebrating the Black Renaissance in Music
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM
Harold Washington Library Center
Sacred Sound, Sacred Stories: Journaling and Sound Healing
Saturday, February 14, 2026
11:00AM – 12:00PM
Woodson Regional
Level Up: Voices of Black Game Designers
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
5:00PM – 7:00PM
Woodson Regional
Woodson Community Heritage Quilt Project
Saturday, February 21, 2026
12:00PM – 2:00PM
Woodson Regional
Architects of Memory: A Black History Poetry Workshop
Saturday, February 21, 2026
1:00PM – 3:00PM
Woodson Regional
Musical Lunch at the Library with Windy Indie: Celebrating the Black Renaissance in Music
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
12:00PM – 1:00PM
Harold Washington Library Center
Black Librarians Trivia Challenge
Friday, February 27, 2026
2:30PM – 4:30PM
Woodson Regional
Online Events
The Short of It: Short Story Book Club
Feb 4 | 6:00–7:00 PM
Black and African American Alcoholics in AA: A Historical Perspective
Feb 19 | 6:00–7:00 PM
Patricia Liddell Researchers Meeting
Saturday, February 21, 2026
1:00PM – 3:00PM
Adult Book Discussion: Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
6:00PM – 7:00PM
Black History Month Film Screenings
Film Screening: Him (2025)
Sunday, February 1, 2026
1:30PM – 3:15PM
King
Film Screening: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Sunday, February 1, 2026
2:00PM – 4:00PM
Kelly
Jazz on a Summer's Day (2021): Black History Month Film Screenings
Friday, February 6, 2026
12:00PM – 2:00PM
Harold Washington Library Center
Film Screening: Fences (2016)
Sunday, February 8, 2026
1:00PM – 3:15PM
West Chicago Avenue
Faubourg Tremé (2018): Black History Month Film Screenings
Friday, February 13, 2026
12:00PM – 2:00PM
Harold Washington Library Center
WTTW Chicago Stories Documentary Screening: Ida B. Wells
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
5:00PM – 7:00PM
Whitney M. Young, Jr.
Tell Them We Are Rising (2017): Black History Month Film Screenings
Friday, February 27, 2026
12:00PM – 2:00PM
Harold Washington Library Center
Recommended Reading
Black History Month 2026: Books for Kids
Black History Month 2026: Books for Teens
Black History Month 2026: Books for Adults
Black History: Recent Highlights (February 2026)