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320 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410.547.8496
Email: nbcc@nbccongress.org
Web: www.nbccongress.org
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CELEBRATING FEBRUARY
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
| | Honoring The Strength And Resilience of People of Color | | |
In Commemoration of Black History Month, “Let Us Be Faithful Stewards of Memory,” Say Bishop Garcia and Bishop Campbell
Media Release from the USCCB
"This February marks one hundred years of commemorating Black history in the United States. This milestone is an opportunity for us to prayerfully reflect on the ways history has been preserved, honored, and passed on across generations."
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He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’ as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’
– Acts 17:26-28 NABRE
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VIDEO PRESENTATION:
Black History Month 2026
From Providence College
Gloria Purvis of the Office of Mission and Ministry shares some background about Black History Month and this year's theme: a century of commemoration.
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2026 Marks The 100th Anniversary Of Black History Month — A Brief History
By Doug Melville | Forbes Magazine
Happy 100th Birthday!
2026 marks a milestone of both progress and persistence in the United States, the 100th anniversary of federal recognition for Black Americans. What began as a singular week of learning and recognition called Negro History Week in 1926 has grown into an overall cultural observance of Black History throughout the month of February.
| | African American children; Glass negative photo; public domain. Harris & Ewing, photographer. From the Library of Congress, public domain photo. | | |
Dr. Gladys West, Who Helped Develop GPS Technology,
Dies at 95
From Sunday TODAY
Dr. Gladys West, the pioneering mathematician whose algorithms and data-mapping created the functions and laid the groundwork for the modern global positioning systems or GPS found in phones, cars and in military weapons, has died at 95. Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist remembers a life well lived.
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| Courtesy Xavier University of Louisiana Archives | | |
Black History Month’s 100th Year And Xavier University’s Century-Long Contribution To The National Holiday
By Tevon Blair | Essence Magazine
The nation’s only Catholic HBCU has shaped Black history by educating generations of leaders in healthcare, politics, and education—fueling upward mobility in New Orleans and beyond.
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| BLACK HISTORY MONTH RESOURCES | | | | |
Join the Museum of African American History and Culture's Month-long Virtual Exploration:
Journey of Black History Month
African American migration has never been just a change of address. Guided by a vision of freedom and opportunity, each journey reshaped both the travelers and the places they settled, leaving a lasting imprint on the nation’s cultural and social landscape.
In recognition of the 100th national observance of Black History Month, we invite you to join our museum on a coast-to-coast exploration. Each week, we’ll spotlight a new destination, honoring the energy of movement and uncovering the communities and spaces that nurtured African American leaders and innovators in the arts, politics, sports, activism, and beyond.
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Finding Freedom
Explore the stories of African American men and women in war-torn Virginia. This virtual exhibit from the Museum of the American Revolution received a bronze award at the 2021 Media & Technology MUSE Awards for online experiences and resources.
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The Lost Black Communities of Merrifield, the Pines and Williamstown (American Heritage
By Marion Ransell Dobbins
After the Civil War, Black landownership in Fairfax County increased by leaps and bounds.
By the 1870s, retired Union officers were purchasing land that they sold to African Americans like Joshua Ball, Joshua Pearson, Robert Bradley and John Coates. Merrifield, the Pines and Williamstown soon emerged as vibrant communities founded by born-free Blacks, the formerly enslaved and their descendants. These African Americans quickly established farms to provide for their families and engaged in truck farming to stimulate trade. They formed charitable organizations and a church. Unfortunately, from the 1960s through the 1980s, these towns disappeared due to eminent domain practices, modern progress and gentrification. Historian Marion Ransell Dobbins unearths the legacy of these vanished communities.
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VIEW A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE LOST BLACK COMMUNITIES OF MERRIFIELD, THE PINES AND WILLIAMSTOWN
with Marion Ransell Dobbins
Click the Play Button below to watch the video
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Virtual Field Trip | Black History Month
In this Virtual Field Trip, we celebrate Black History Month and the contributions of Black Explorers from the past and present. We explore the North Pole with Matthew Henson, examine the importance of Green Book sites with Candacy Taylor, launch to the moon with Katherine Johnson, and tell stories with Asha Stuart.
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A Poem by Black Poet James Weldon Johnson
To America
By James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938)
How would you have us, as we are?
Or sinking ’neath the load we bear?
Our eyes fixed forward on a star?
Or gazing empty at despair?
Rising or falling? Men or things?
With dragging pace or footsteps fleet?
Strong, willing sinews in your wings?
Or tightening chains about your feet?
Public domain
| James Weldon Johnson, born in Florida in 1871, was a national organizer for the NAACP and an author of poetry and nonfiction. Perhaps best known for the song "Lift Every Voice and SIng," he also wrote several poetry collections and novels, often exploring racial identity and the African American folk tradition. | | Photo: The Library of Congress from Washington, DC, United States, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons | |
Black History 365
Black History 365® is a comprehensive K-12 curriculum designed for schools across America. Its purpose is to provide a tech-savvy educational resource that will invite students to become:
- Critical thinkers
- Compassionate listeners
- Fact-based, respectful communicators
- Action-oriented solutionists
Find out more by clicking here: https://blackhistory365education.com/
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Upcoming NBCC Webinar Presentation
From Burnout to Balance: How Boundaries Protect Mental Health
Webinar Presenter:
Dr. A. Mechelle Haywood
| | | Join Dr. A. Mechelle Haywood for an empowering webinar that explores how intentional boundaries can safeguard emotional well-being and restore a sense of balance in daily life. Drawing from her professional expertise and real-world insights, Dr. Haywood will unpack the roots of burnout, offer practical strategies for setting healthy limits, and guide participants toward creating sustainable habits that nurture peace, productivity, and personal fulfillment. | | | The National Black Catholic Congress | 320 Cathedral St | Baltimore, MD 21201 US |
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