Orbert Davis: trumpeter, composer, and leader of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic.
50 years before Black History Month became a federally recognized event by Gerald Ford, Chicago was already celebrating the achievements and triumphs of Black Americans. In February of 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) founded the first Negro History Week: a time for concerts, lectures, and festivities surrounding Black American accomplishments.
2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Woodson’s accomplishment, and 50 years since the US Federal government formally recognized February as Black History month. Get educated and entertained with Chicago’s plethora of events for the season.
Black History Month Film Screenings
2/1 – 2/27: Various Chicago Public Library Locations, free
From movies about music to powerful dramas, enjoy a wide variety of films about Black history for free across various Chicago Public Library branches.
Quiet Parts Out Loud: A Musical Rooted in Policy, Power, and Progress
2/5 – 2/8: Harold Washington Cultural Center, $35+
Following the true story of Black American businessman and philanthropist A. G. Gaston, this musical explores how one man used economics to become one of the most influential figures in Alabama, spurring on and supporting the development of the Civil Rights movement.
Black and Highly Flavored
A comedy revue from Second City that brings together real stories, hilarious sketches, and new songs celebrating the Black American experience.
50th Anniversary of I Want You
Vocalists José James and Lizz Wright commemorate the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s I Want You album with jazzy, soulful reinterpretations of the R&B superstar’s music.
Promotional poster for movie screening and concert.
When the West Side Burned
2/7: Kehrein Center for the Arts, $2
WTTW collaborates with the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic for a movie screening of the latest Chicago Stories documentary When the West Side Burned, followed by a community discussion and concert. The performance will feature Orbert Davis’s original music from documentary plus additional music from the 1960s.
1619: The Journey of a People
2/7: DuSable Black History Museum, $45
A dynamic hip-hop and jazz infused musical, detailing struggles and triumphs of African Americans from the beginnings of the slave trade to contemporary times.
3 Shades of Blues: Diunna Greenleaf, Nora Jean Wallace, and Precious Taylor
2/7: Logan Center for the Arts, $33
Three masters of blues music share the stage for an evening of stories, powerful vocals, and sisterhood in their genre.
Valencia Lacy: Journey to Here
2/11: Old Town School of Folk Music, free
Soulful and stirring vocalist Valencia Lacy presents an evening of music that traces the evolution of Black Music in the United States. From spirituals to the blues, gospel to hip-hop, the songs rpay homage to the many integral Black artists that helped push music forward.
The Afro-Cuban Folkloric Ensemble (Photo: University of Chicago)
Afro-Cuban Folkloric Ensemble
2/12: Fulton Recital Hall, free
Traditional songs performed by students and staff that reflect a wide swatch of Afro-Cuban culture.
Black Cypress Bayou
2/13 – 3/15: Definition Theater, $28.52+
Family secrets bubble to the surface after a sudden death causes Vernita Manifold to call her daughters back home to the bayou. Melding murder mystery, comedy, and historical drama, the Black Cypress Bayou asks what happens when people refuse to stay silent.
Black History Month: Concert and Conversation
2/14: Whitney M. Young Jr. Branch (Chicago Public Library), free
Saxophonist and composer David Boykin presents original compositions, followed by a conversation with Randy Evans and Clyde Banks about Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s Miseducation of the Negro.
Reimagining Jazz – A Black History Month Concert
2/22: Garfield Park Conservatory, Free (registration required)
Music students collaborate alongside well-known jazz names for a concert exploring jazz music from Chicago’s West Side.
Uniting Voices Chicago (Photo: Kyle Flubacker)
Black History Concert Series: Voices of Àṣẹ
2/24 & 2/25: Auditorium Theater, Free
Uniting Voices Chicago present their annual Black History concert series, free events that are open to the whole family. This year’s theme centers on Afrofuturism and Àṣẹ – a concept from West African Yorùbá philosophy that is similar to the power of manifestation.
Musical Lunch with Windy City Indie
2/25: Harold Washington Library, free
A live performance of violin music in multiple genres, from classical to contemporary, highlighting important contributions by Black artists to the development of various musical genres.
Mather Gather: Parisian Cafe Poetry
2/25: DuSable Black History Museum, Free (registration required)
Enjoy a guided tour of Paris in Black – DuSable’s new exhibition that delves into the history of Black art and the Black Renaissance in Paris – followed by coffee and conversation surrounding the poetry of James Baldwin.
Showtime in the Park at Fuller
2/26: Fuller Park Chicago, Free
A free concert paying tribute to important Black actors, singers, and entertainers who have appeared on the American variety TV show Showtime at the Apollo over the years.
