Ways To Observe Black History Month 2023 In The Milwaukee Area

MILWAUKEE, WI — There are several ways you can observe Black History Month in Milwaukee this year, ranging from visiting a Black-owned business to attending a film festival and more.

“Black Resistance” is the theme of this year’s observance, which starts Wednesday and continues through the month. Since 1976, every U.S. president has set aside February as a month to celebrate the achievements of African Americans and their role in U.S. history.

Events in February will explore “how African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms and police killings” since their arrival on the shores in the 1600s, according to the sponsoring Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Here are some ideas in Milwaukee:

• Visit the galleries at America's Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee (401 West North Avenue) and learn about the story of the Black Holocaust. The museum, which was founded by a lynching survivor, also features over 3,300 online galleries.
• Attend the Milwaukee Film Festival's The Black Lens Black History Month program, which features four weeks of films and events dedicated to honoring Black culture. Find the full 2023 program at the festival's website.
• Patronize one of Milwaukee's many Black-owned businesses. Whether you need construction and design services, a tasty meal out, a fresh beauty routine or anything else, you can find it in Milwaukee's Black-owned business directory.

The first Black History Month observance was held 97 years ago. Called Negro History Week at the time, it was established by Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson, the son of illiterate former slaves, who believed that the important contributions of Black Americans had been largely overlooked in published accounts of U.S. history.

He established the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915 to create a social scientific collection recording and publicizing the accomplishments of Black Americans.

Related: 2023 Black History Month: 5 Things To Know