February is Black History Month — an opportunity to recognize, centralize, and celebrate the role of Black people in the past and present of the United States and the world. Black history IS American history, but it is too often siloed and erased from the stories we tell.
As we celebrate Black history this month, we commit to honoring the legacies and ongoing contributions of our Black neighbors past and present. Even after so much effort and progress, we see in our society too many instances and patterns of injustice, but also many that stand forward to see change happen at different levels. In the midst of ongoing challenges, there is much to celebrate, to honor, and to enjoy together.
The fight for racial justice must be part of our everyday practices. Here in the Pittsburgh region, there are many ways to learn about and honor Black history, uplift the Black community locally, and support Black leaders in the work of anti-racism. We have compiled many of them here. We hope you will find an event, celebration, or organization that resonates with you. If we can be helpful with connecting you to an organization to learn more about them, please let us know.
Events, Celebrations, and More
Ongoing
- Black History Month: The August Wilson Archives – City of Pittsburgh
- Black History Month at CLP – Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
- Black History Month Broadcasting Programming – WQED-TV
- Black History Month Events Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy – Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
- Celebration of Black Comedy – Arcade Comedy Theater
- K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month Celebration – University of Pittsburgh
- Celebrating Black History Month – Carnegie Science Center
- Black History Month at the History Center – Heinz History Center
- Black Hockey History – Pittsburgh Penguins (Black Hockey History game presented by CNX on Saturday, February 18th)
Black History in Pittsburgh
- Black History and Historic Sites – Visit Pittsburgh
- The Underground Railroad — Learn about the history of the Underground Railroad and visit significant sites in the Pittsburgh region.
Support Black-Owned Businesses
Cocoapreneur – Visit Cocoapreneur to view a directory of black-owned businesses in Pittsburgh. Cocoapreneur provides support to businesses through advertising, marketing, and consulting.
BlackOwnedPGH – Follow BlackOwnedPGH on Instagram for business spotlights and recommendations.
Supporting the Work of Racial Justice in Pittsburgh
There are so many Black-led organizations working to end racism, uplift Black communities, and create positive change in our region. Here are a few groups that are Black-led and/or work closely with the Black community that you can connect with, volunteer for, donate to, and support:
- 1Hood Media
- African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania
- African American Leadership Association
- Alliance for Police Accountability
- Amachi Pittsburgh
- Black Girls Equity Alliance (Gwen’s Girls)
- Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP)
- Black Tech Nation
- Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh
- Black, Young, & Educated
- Boom Concepts
- Corporate Equity and Inclusion Roundtable (CEIR)
- Gwen’s Girls
- The Kingsley Association
- The Homewood Children’s Village
- My Brother’s Keeper
- Manchester Bidwell Corporation
- New Voices for Reproductive Justice
- Pittsburgh Black Elected Officials Coalition
- POISE Foundation
- Sankofa Fund of Southwest PA
- Sisters PGH
- South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace
- Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
- Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Pittsburgh
- YWCA Center for Race & Gender Equity
We will continue to update this list throughout February. If you know of an event, organization, or resource that we missed, please submit it to our community calendar or email josiah@pump.org. Thank you!