Black History Month programming brings individuals from across the Bayou Region to campus. Dr. Melinda Jefferson, Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice in the Department of Social Sciences, serves as Chair of the Black History Month Committee, with Elnora Parker Vicks, Counselor and Outreach Coordinator at the Nicholls State University Counseling Center, serving as Co-Chair. The committee is made up of faculty and staff from various departments and student organizations on the Nicholls campus. Each year, the committee hosts events that are educational, cultural, and fun for the student body, the faculty and staff, and community members.

Black History Month 2026  will start a series of events to honor not only African American history across our nation but also the important African American history on our campus and within the local area. Lectures, panel discussions, musicals, plays, themed meals, open mic nights, and other activities are all part of the festivities. The planned events promote unity, diversity, and equality on campus and within the local community. 

The 2026 National Black History Month theme is “A Century of Black Commemorations.”  “ Per the ASALH website, 2026 marks a century of national commemorations of Black history. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, George Cleveland Hall, William D. Hartgrove, Jesse E. Moorland, Alexander L. Jackson, and James E. Stamps institutionalized the teaching, study, dissemination, and commemoration of Black history with the founding of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) on September 9, 1915.

To fully understand the modern world—particularly nations in which Black peoples constitute a significant portion of the population—one must grapple with the influence that public observances of Black history have had on both the past and the present. In a year that also marks the 250th anniversary of United States independence, it is imperative that we tell not only an inclusive history, but an accurate one. The value of Black history lies not merely in its contribution to mainstream historical narratives, but in its deep resonance within the lived experiences, identities, and realities of Black people.

The 2026 Black History Month theme, “A Century of Black Commemorations,” honors 100 years of recognizing, preserving, and elevating Black history, culture, and contributions while reaffirming the ongoing importance of telling accurate, inclusive, and transformative stories that shape our collective past, present, and future.