Skip to main content

Celebrating Black History Month 2026

Celebrating Black History Month 2026

Feb. 1, 2026

We've chosen some books from our collections, library resources, and events to spotlight and encourage you to dig in!

ALIVE! Preserving the Legacy of Black Storytelling through Art, Feb. 6

As part of the U of A Black Faculty Speaker Series, artists, educators, and performers across spoken word, visual art, and dance will come together for a dynamic, multidisciplinary experience. 

The event will open with the Tucson screening of Damon Davis' Radio Opera, "Ligia Mare," which opened at Carnegie Hall to a sold-out crowd, and continue with two performance poetry pieces, and close with a number performed by U of A Traveling Dance Ensemble, led by Duane Cyrus. 

The conversation will be honest, compelling, and entertaining.

  • 6pm, Friday, Feb. 6
  • Marroney Theatre, 1015 N Olive Road
  • Free and open to the public
  • Guest speakers: Edwin A. Bodney, Damon Davis, Duane Cyrus, Elizabeth Denneau, Adia Jamille, Kristen V. Carter
  • Moderator: Adiba Nelson
  • See speakers' bios

Sponsored by Africana Studies, Arizona Arts Live, MLK Dream Student Space, School of Dance, and School of Theatre, Film & Television

Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon, Feb. 13

Help us celebrate Frederick Douglass' birthday, also known as Douglass Day, an annual global transcribe-a-thon and a collective action for Black history on Friday, Feb. 13. Thousands of participants come together at more than 100 simultaneous events around the world to transcribe materials of Black scholars and thinkers. 

Don't forget to grab a cupcake when you're done!

  • Friday, Feb. 13
  • Drop by anytime between 10am and noon. You can join us online, too!
  • CATalyst Studios, B254, Main Library
  • No experience is necessary. We'll help you get started.
  • If you bring your own device, be sure you can comfortably look at an image on-screen, and type with it. We will also have some computers available.
  • More event details

Book recommendations

Wildcat Reads Collection: Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

This sci-fi, genre-defying, africanfuturism novel by Okorafor explores themes of authorship, identity, and the power of storytelling through the journey of a Nigerian American writer named Zelu. Okorafor lives in Phoenix.

Wildcat Reads is a collection of recreational titles over a wide range of genres available for checkout on the 3rd floor of the Main Library.

The University of Arizona Press: Chamorrita Song by Danielle P. Williams

Poet Williams pays homage to Black and Chamorro cultures, honoring the artistic expressions that these communities have created to reconcile lifetimes of imposed trauma. Bearing witness to these many narratives, Williams intertwines spoken word poetry and gospel music with Chamorro storytelling, weaving together the nuanced histories of queer, Black, and Indigenous existence and literature.

Williams grew up in South Carolina, and she spent summers in Guam with her Chamorro family. Kantan Chamorrita is more than just the ancient craft of Chamorro folk song. It is also a return and a homecoming. This impromptu style of communal call-and-response performance art forms the spokes for Williams' debut collection.

The University of Arizona Press (UA Press) is the premier publisher of academic, regional, and literary works in the state of Arizona. UA Press disseminates ideas and knowledge of lasting value that enrich understanding, inspire curiosity, and enlighten readers. UA Press advances the University of Arizona’s mission by connecting scholarship and creative expression to readers worldwide.

Resources

LibGuides

Databases