Black History Month

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Black History Month is a nationally recognized observance each February dedicated to honoring the profound contributions, achievements, and lived experiences of African Americans throughout U.S. history. This year, the celebration carries special significance as it marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month.

At Rice University, 2026 commemorates more than 60 years of Black student excellence. In 1962-1963, Rice initiated the process of desegregation and in 1964, Rice admitted Raymond Johnson, its first Black student. The milestone began a legacy of perseverance, achievement, and leadership that continues to shape the university today. We honor those trailblazers while reaffirming a commitment to access and institutional excellence.

Black History Month at Rice is designed to be dynamic, expansive, and reflective of the many dimensions of Black culture and identity. Moving beyond a singular narrative, the monthlong programming highlights the richness of Black history, creativity, scholarship, labor, and community life. The celebration stands both as a tribute and a call forward, honoring those who came before while creating space for dialogue, joy, and collective growth for generations to come.

We invite you to join us throughout February as we come together as a community to celebrate Black history, culture, and excellence at Rice University.

Black History Month Events

To add your event to the calendar, please contact Rosie Nguyen at rosie.nguyen@rice.edu

Recurring Events

Time	Event	Sponsor	Location
Feb. 1-28 (All Month)	Black History Month Book Displays A presentation of book displays for Black History Month throughout the month of February, chosen by BHM committee members and Rice faculty, staff, and students. Event contact: Jeanette Sewell (jcs14@rice.edu)	Fondren Library	Fondren Library (first floor near the East and West entrances)
Every Thursday in Feb., 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.	Thursday Hangouts Join us at the Multicultural Center every Thursday for great food and fellowship in a relaxed atmosphere! Event contact: Avery Hartwell (ah150@rice.edu)	Office of Access and Institutional Excellence	Multicultural Center

Feb. 1-7

Time	Event	Sponsor	Location
Feb. 2, 5:30 p.m.	3rd Annual Kickoff Showcase Experience a vibrant showcase of talent with captivating performances, including dance, spoken word, singing, and stepping. Join us for delicious food and arrive early to receive a FREE Black History Month 2026 at Rice t-shirt, featuring some of Rice's trailblazing alumni. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Showcase begins at 6:00 p.m. Event contact: Avery Hartwell (ah150@rice.edu)	Black History Month Committee	Grand Hall
Feb. 3, 6:00 p.m.	The Black Experience at Rice: The Past, Present, and Future The Center for African and African American Studies kicks off Black History Month with a discussion of Black experience and history at Rice from its founding to the present. Panelists include Alexander X. Byrd ’90 (Vice Provost for the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence and Associate Professor of History), W. Caleb McDaniel (Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Humanities and Professor of History), Portia Hopkins (University Historian), Fay Yarbrough ’99 (Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Graduate Programs and the William Gaines Twyman Professor of History), Joyce Deyon-Sallier ’76, and Craig Jackson ’77. Event contact: caaas@rice.edu	Center for African and African American Studies at Rice	Kraft Hall 130
Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m.	Black Student Association General Body Meeting: Vision Board Bingo Vision board event with a twist! Write down your goals in bingo form and cross out the goals as you achieve them. Event contact: Eneye Gbedee (ejg6@rice.edu)	Black Student Association	Multicultural Center

Feb. 8-14

Time	Event	Sponsor	Location
Feb. 10, 7-8 p.m.	Basketball Tailgate Come enjoy food, games, and a DJ to get you hyped for tip-off before our Women's Basketball team plays North Texas. FREE shirts for the first 60 students to register! (Game starts at 8 p.m.) Sign up here: https://forms.gle/WzTN5jcdEicC6iY97 Event contact: Lademi Ogunlana (lo15@rice.edu)	ARUBA, ROC-U, BSA, and RASA	West Gym in Tudor Fieldhouse
Feb. 11, 4-5 p.m.	CAAS Speaker Series: Dr. Christien Philmarc Tompkins A Burdensome Experiment: Race, Labor, and Schools in New Orleans after Katrina In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many powerful constituencies across the United States viewed the city of New Orleans as an alluring blank slate for ambitious political and ideological experiments, including the total remaking of housing, public education, and the local and regional economy. Drawing from a broader labor ethnography on the transformation of education work in the city as racialized labor, this talk examines how experiments in racial expertise are the grounds upon which a multi-racial technocratic elite has determined the future of schooling in New Orleans and poses that this commitment to technocracy has come at great cost to our collective capacities to defend democratic ways of living. Event contact: Canecia Smith (cs153@rice.edu)	Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS)	Anderson Hall 117
Feb. 11, 7 p.m.	"Slavery, Segregation, and the Second Founding of Rice University" Book Event Join the authors, Dr. Alexander X. Byrd and Dr. Caleb McDaniel for an event about their new book. This is a ticketed event. Ticked event. See the Kindred Stories website for further details.	Kindred Stories Bookstore	Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. #2, Houston, TX 77004)
Feb. 12, 5-7 p.m.	Faculty and Staff Social Join us for a relaxed and engaging Black History Month faculty & staff social, created to bring colleagues together in a setting that encourages conversation, connection, and community! This event will take place at FRNDS, a modern Black-owned lounge known for its inviting atmosphere and stylish design. It’s a great chance to step away from the usual routine, connect with coworkers from across campus, and enjoy the evening in a social, comfortable environment. Event contact: Grant Stephens (gs78@rice.edu)	Office of Access and Institutional Excellence	FRNDS (2441 University Blvd, Houston, TX 77005)

Feb. 15-21

Time	Event	Sponsor	Location
Feb. 18, 2-5 p.m.	Black History Month Coffee Chat A relaxed coffee chat designed to build community and connection with meaningful conversations highlighting Black history, including Black queer history in collaboration with QGSA. It will also be an informal space to share experiences, network, and support one another. All are welcome, bring a friend and come as you are. Event contact: Mohamed Mohamed (mm272@rice.edu)	Black Graduate Student Association	MCC
Feb. 18, 8 p.m.	Black Student Association Hump Night Come out for an event celebrating Black student experiences and community with Rice BSA and Houston-area D9 organizations! Event contact: Eneye Gbedee (ejg6@rice.edu)	Black Student Association	Academic Quad
Feb. 19, 1 p.m.	CAAS Speaker Series: Dr. Quito J. Swan Too Dark for the World: Oceania and the Black Pacific Too Dark for the World explores Black internationalism and decolonization in Oceania. Drawing from archival research conducted across Oceania, the Americas, Africa, and Europe, it will discuss how Melanesian liberation struggles engaged Black Power, Negritude, and Pan Africanism in their insurgent battles for self-determination. It is based on Quito Swan’s Pasifika Black: Oceania, Anticolonialism, and the Africana World (NYU Press, 2022), which was awarded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s 2023 Best Book in African American History prize. Event contact: Canecia Smith (cs153@rice.edu)	Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS)	Sewall - Anthropology Seminar Room
Feb. 19, 5-7 p.m.	Black History Month Social Come out and celebrate Black history with ROC-U! We'll have grilling by Rice Football alum Byron (NOLA Catering), line dancing, fellowship, and games! Event contact: Jordan Edmondson (jde8@rice.edu)	Rice Owls of Color United (ROC-U)	Tudor Fieldhouse Patio
Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m.	We Were Here Film Screening We Were Here unveils the untold history of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe through iconic artworks. This multilingual film, shot across Europe, challenges the notion that all Blacks were slaves or servants. It reveals a diverse presence, including princes, ambassadors, merchants, and religious figures. Narrated from an Afro-European perspective, it explores stories absent from traditional history books. The film interweaves art history with social narratives, offering a fresh lens on European Renaissance and the complex tapestry of Black presence often overlooked in conventional historical accounts. Stick around after the film for a reception and Q&A with the film’s director, Fred Kuwornu. Event contact: Zeenia Iqbal (zi1@rice.edu)	Department of Art History, History Department, Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS), Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures (MCLC), and Medieval and Early Modern Studies (MEMS/MDEM)	Moody Theater

Feb. 22-28

Time	Event	Sponsor	Location
Feb. 23, 4-6 p.m.	Black History Month Open Mic Join us for an inspiring open mic night featuring powerful storytelling, spoken word, music, and artistic expressions that uplift and celebrate the voices of the Black community. All are welcome. Sign up in advance to secure a space. Event contact: Miriam Vicente (miriam.vicente@rice.edu)	Rice Education Department	Dean's Commons, Anderson-Clarke Center Building
Feb. 25, 12-1:30 p.m.	The Prophetic and the Prosperous: Religious Worldviews and American Political Behavior Please join the Department of Political Science for a special talk by Professor Eric McDaniel, a member of the Department of Government and co-director of the Politics of Race and Ethnicity (PRE) Lab at UT Austin. RSVP requested at https://tinyurl.com/poliBHM Event contact: Taylor Damann (tjdamann@rice.edu)	Rice Department of Political Science	Herring Hall 100
Feb. 26, 7:00-9:30 p.m.	"The Inquisitor" Documentary Screening Barbara Jordan made history as Texas’s first Black state senator and the first Southern Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In a world dominated by white men, she moved with deft skill, earning both their respect and their fear. At a time when the idea of a Black woman holding power seemed inconceivable, Barbara Jordan created a roadmap for change. The documentary screening will take place at 7:00 p.m., followed by a panel discussion at 8:30 p.m. and a reception at 9:00 p.m. Event contact: Melissa Marschall (marschal@rice.edu)	Sid Richardson College and Will Rice College	Sewall Hall 309
Feb. 27, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.	Black History Month Closing Event Join us as we close out Black History Month with community, culture, and celebration! Come enjoy a live DJ, line dancing, catered food, fun outdoor games, and a special music performance you won’t want to miss. Bring your friends, bring your energy, and come ready to vibe as we celebrate 100 years of Black History together! Event contact: Grant Stephens (gs78@rice.edu)	Office of Access and Institutional Excellence	Academic Quad
Feb. 28, 5:30 to 10:00 p.m.	Soul Night (Sincerely Carter - A Love Story) Soul Night is an annual cultural showcase situated within the context of an original play directed and written by a student that incorporates outside acts (singer, dancers, etc.) and a fashion show to showcase African American culture. Use the digital ticket form to purchase tickets from the U-store or buy tickets in person in the RMC the two weeks before the show. Event contact: Samantha Peltrau (sp152@rice.edu) and Ajanay Butts (ab307@rice.edu)	Black Student Association	RMC Grand Hall

March

Time	Event	Sponsor	Location
Mar. 7, 4 p.m.	Africaye: A Cinderella Story This year's annual Rice African Student Association showcase takes you on a journey all across Africa in search of the bride. "If the shoe fits, wear it." Tickets can be purchased two weeks before the show and at the door. Food starts at 4:00 p.m., doors open at 5:30, and show starts at 6:00. Event contact: Taofeekat Lamina (tol1@rice.edu)	Rice African Student Association	Grand Hall, Rice Memorial Center
Mar. 8, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.	Black Excellence Gala The Black Excellence Gala honors current students and alumni for their remarkable achievements, invaluable contributions, and unwavering dedication to the Rice University community! Event contact: Stacy Couillard (sac18@rice.edu)	Black Student Association	Rice Memorial Center Grand Hall

Special thanks to the Black History Month committee members: Avery Hartwell, Grant Stephens, Heather Holley, Marina Chavez, Rosie Nguyen, Shanese Valyan-Robinson, Stacy Couillard, Ajsia Johnson, Altha Rodgers, Anna Xiong, Antoine Culbreath, Arthur Gottschalk, Asia Donald, Britni Bowles, Christina Jones, Christopher Freeman, Danielle Jones, Davon Robb, Daziyah Sullivan, Deric Childress Jr., Fay Yarbrough, Heather Bennett Mallory, Indre Rapalaviciute, Jeanette Sewell, JeQuan Smith, José Negroni Cicerchia, Kennedy Bosie, Khadene Harris, Loren Bryant, Lisa Mayzone, Luján Stasevicius, Mariam Falana, Nicole Owens, Paul Scott, Phalon Ervin, Portia Hopkins, ReAnna Mathis, Shanequea White, Sherrigo McNeil, Sydney Batts, Taofeekat Lamina, Taylor Gee, and Triniti Dozier.