Celebrating Black History Month

By Stella Katsipoutis-Varkanis

Beginning Feb. 1, Lafayette College and the Office of Intercultural Development (OID) will launch a series of events in celebration of Black History Month.

As 2026 marks 100 years since Dr. Carter G. Woodson planned the inaugural weeklong observance of Black history in 1925, this year’s nationwide Black History Month theme is “A Century of Black History Commemorations”—with an emphasis on exploring the impact and meaning of Black history and life commemorations in transforming the status of Black people in the modern world. 

“Black History Month offers our community an opportunity to not only honor the legacy of Black Americans but also reflect on how deeply intertwined Black history is with American history itself,” says Kimberly Weatherly, executive director of intercultural development at Lafayette. 

Paris Francis ’26, integrative engineering major and president of the Lafayette chapter of National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) | Photo by JaQuan Alston

“Black History Month means embracing African American culture and recognizing the contributions that were made by those who came before us,” says Paris Francis ’26, an integrative engineering major with a focus on robotics, who is also the president of the Lafayette chapter of National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). “This month is a time for us to reflect, educate ourselves, and acknowledge that we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.”

David Antwi ’26, a film and media studies major who is also an OID student ambassador and mentorship coordinator for Brothers of Lafayette (BOL), says student organizations such as NSBE, Association of Black Collegians (ABC), BOL, NIA: A Sisterhood, Bohío Association, and more have been working alongside OID to plan informational, fun, and impactful events for the campus community to celebrate the vast history, culture, and impact that the Black experience holds.

“I am ecstatic to be a part of planning these celebrations, and I encourage everybody to attend these events,” Antwi says. “There’s a plethora of things that go into making them happen, and you’re bound to learn something and help build an even stronger Lafayette community.”

The College will kick off Black History Month Sunday, Feb. 1, with a Kwanzaa celebration dinner. Starting at 4:30 p.m. in the Marlo Room, attendees will be served a dinner (including vegan/vegetarian and gluten-free options) and participate in a ceremony to share the traditions of Kwanzaa. Register for the event.

“These celebrations create spaces for students from different cultures and diasporas to share their stories, celebrate their heritage, and see their identities reflected and valued,” Weatherly says. “For the wider Lafayette community, it’s a chance to engage with Black history through many lenses: music, literature, art, cuisine, entertainment, and academic contributions that have shaped and continue to shape our society.”

Led by the historians of ABC, an MLK march will begin 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at Portlock Black Cultural Center. The campus tour will highlight significant sites that honor the contributions of African American faculty, staff, alumni, and student organizations, concluding at Skillman Library with refreshments and takeaways. 

For one of two lunch-and-learns to be hosted in February, Diane Windham Shaw, director emerita of Special Collections and College Archives, will present “Lafayette as Abolitionist; ‘I have been so long the Friend of Emancipation’” 12 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, in the Gendebien Room of Skillman Library. The presentation will look at the role of the Marquis de Lafayette in the Antislavery Movement, which became one of the signature causes of his life. 

The world premiere of the new original play The Language of Sight: The David McDonogh Project will be held 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, presented by the Performance Series at the Williams Center for the Arts. Ahead of the premiere, director Kimberly Sykes and producer Russel Ardin Koplin will discuss the creation of the play, which uses letters and materials from the Lafayette College archives to provide a dramatic account of the life of Dr. David McDonough, a formerly enslaved individual who attended the College and became its first Black graduate, and ultimately the first Black eye doctor in the U.S. The discussion and second lunch-and-learn of the month, titled “Bringing an Original Play to Life: The Language of Sight,” will take place 12 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24 in the Interfaith Chapel of Hogg Hall.

Additional events will include NIA’s hair care workshop Feb. 8, OID’s A Taste of Soul Feb. 9, ABC’s Black Arts Festival Feb. 19, NSBE’s Gateway workshop Feb. 24, Bohío Association’s carnival mask making Feb. 27, and much more.

“During Black History Month, we should be spending time curating spaces for Black individuals to be celebrated and uplifted, which is exactly what the student organizations on this campus are planning to do,” Francis says.

A full list of all activities will be available and updated throughout the month on the College’s calendar of events and on the OID website. 

Johanna Douge ’27, English and psychology major, president of Lafayette African and Caribbean Students’ Association (LACSA), and Office of Intercultural Development (OID) student ambassador | Photo by JaQuan Alston

Johanna Douge ’27, an English and psychology major who is also president of Lafayette African and Caribbean Students’ Association (LACSA) and an OID student ambassador, says OID has been instrumental in bridging Lafayette students, staff, and faculty for Black History Month, an ongoing and ever-improving effort she is proud to be a part of. “Black History Month is a time of both celebration and remembrance. We need to look back in order to progress and move forward—with more understanding, confidence, and compassion,” she says. “It’s heartwarming to know there is always a community behind me at Lafayette, one that will extend a hand to pull me forward.”

“Black History Month encourages education, appreciation, and connection,” Weatherly adds. “It invites us all to move beyond the classroom and experience history as something living alive in the creativity, resilience, and achievements of Black individuals and communities past and present. By celebrating together, we strengthen our collective understanding of who we are and who we strive to be as a diverse and inclusive college community.”