Black History Month 2026
Published on January 28, 2026
The City of Gainesville observes Black History Month with a showcase of performances and remembrance events at several city-owned venues. Events are free and open to the public.
Black History Month is a month-long celebration of the achievements and cultural recognition of African Americans, from the early days of the Abolitionist movements, Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance, Black Arts Movement and the Civil Rights Movement during Jim Crow to the present day.
The Florida Invitational Step Show, “The Stroll”
Date: Saturday, Feb. 7
Time: 12-3 p.m.
Location: Bo Diddley Plaza, 111 E. University Ave.
Join Black sororities and fraternities, local cheer and dance teams for an electrifying step show. Event features Zeta Kappa – Phi Beta Sigmas, ReKonstruction Dance Troupe (REKO – FAMU, BSU and UCF), local dance teams Smooth Flava Dance, Top Notch Divas, The Infamous Diamonds and more.
A Celebration of Black Love, Art and Poetry
Date: Saturday, Feb. 7
Time: 6-9 p.m.
Location: Oakview Community Center, 810 NW Eighth Ave.
Poets and visual artists will feature the essence of Black love in a poetry showcase and local visual artists. Event co-sponsored by Bailey Learning and Arts Collective, Inc.
Rosa Parks Day Celebration
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 24
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: RTS Rosa Parks Transfer Station, 700 SE Third St.
This event celebrates the life and legacy of Rosa Parks (Feb. 4, 1913-Oct. 24, 2005) at the city’s Regional Transit System bus station named in her honor. In 1955, the civil rights activist refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Her actions sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and helped fuel the Civil Rights Movement and the end of racial segregation.
Evergreen Cemetery Self-guided Tour
Location: 401 SE 21st Ave.
All month long, Gainesville honors the lives, achievements and contributions of the Black residents interred at the city’s only municipal cemetery by sharing stories on its Facebook page. On-site, honorary signage indicates the gravesites of bluesman Willie Green, club owner Sarah McKnight and others for neighbors who wish to take a self-guided tour of the historic cemetery, established in 1856.