Mayor Michelle Wu opens Boston’s Black History Month with City Hall program marking 100th anniversary
City Hall ceremony launches February programming tied to labor theme and a century of Black history commemoration
Boston opened Black History Month on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, with the city’s annual celebration at City Hall, a ceremony framed this year as part of the 100th anniversary of the national observance. The midday program drew close to 100 attendees and combined speeches, prayer, poetry, musical performance, and a ceremonial flag raising on City Hall Plaza.
The event took place on the third-floor mezzanine and concluded with the raising of a Black History Month flag outside, followed by a mayoral proclamation declaring February 2026 as Black History Month in Boston. The program featured opening remarks from the city’s racial justice leadership, a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and a poetry reading by Amanda Shea.
“Black history will save us,” the Rev. Willie Bodrick II told the gathering during remarks that emphasized equity and justice for Boston’s Black community.
Bodrick serves as senior pastor of Historic Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury. The City Hall audience included community members and city employees, among them staff connected to equity and inclusion initiatives.
Why 2026 is being marked as the 100th anniversary
The centennial framing connects to the origins of Black History Month in the United States. In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson and the organization he founded to advance the study of Black life and history established “Negro History Week,” selecting the second week of February. The commemoration expanded over time and received federal recognition as Black History Month in 1976.
Boston officials used the start-of-month ceremony to underscore local history and ongoing debates over the teaching and public memory of Black history. Speakers referenced Boston’s legacy of segregated schooling and the continuing relevance of civil rights-era struggles to present-day policy questions.
Citywide schedule highlights labor theme and public events
The City of Boston’s February calendar emphasizes a theme of “African Americans and Labor” and includes civic, cultural, and educational programming across neighborhoods and city facilities. Planned events include building lightings in red, yellow, and green during the first week of February and a series of gatherings hosted or supported by city departments.
Black History Month Celebration and Flag Raising (February 3, City Hall Plaza)
Artist-in-residence gallery reception and exhibition at City Hall (February 6; artwork displayed through February 21)
Annual youth skate night (February 14, Dorchester)
Black veterans appreciation brunch (February 22, City Hall)
Panel discussion on Black women in leadership and labor (February 28, Roxbury)
City Hall’s kickoff also intersected with other municipal efforts focused on racial equity, including the city’s Reparations Task Force, whose members have been engaged in public discussions about history, harm, and remedies tied to slavery and its lasting impacts in Boston.
Organizers said the month’s programming is intended to pair commemoration with public participation, spanning performances, exhibitions, youth events, and civic forums across the city.