The 2025 Black History Month theme, African Americans, and Labor, focuses on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds – free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary – intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. Indeed, work is at the very center of much of Black history and culture. Be it the traditional agricultural labor of enslaved Africans that fed Low Country colonies, debates among Black educators on the importance of vocational training, self-help strategies and entrepreneurship in Black communities, or organized labor’s role in fighting both economic and social injustice, Black people’s work has been transformational throughout the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora. The 2025 Black History Month theme, “African Americans and Labor,” sets out to highlight and celebrate the potent impact of this work.

Schedule of Events:

February 1, 2025

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Opening Ceremony and Culture for Service, Service for Humanity

Join for a conversation highlighting the life and times of A. Philip Randolph, labor activist and freedom fighter. Randolph lived a life that embodied the message within “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity” the motto of Phi Beta Sigma, of which he was a member.

Watch on ASALH TV

February 4, 2025

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Pen to Screen

Pen to Screen: Writing and Telling Black History, A Conversation with Julian Breece and Valerie Maholmes

Julian Breece will discuss his career as writer-director, the development of the film, “Rustin” and the role history has played in shaping his work. Breece wrote the original screenplay for the Netflix original film “Rustin” about gay Civil Rights strategist Bayard Rustin and the March on Washington.

Watch on ASALH TV

February 6, 2025

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: The Vice President’s Black Wife

The Vice President's Black Wife: Julia Chinn and the Story of Black Women's Labor: a Conversation with Amrita Myers

Join us for a conversation with Amrita Chakrabarti Myers about the interconnectedness of sex, gender, class, and economics during the antebellum period. Myers has recovered the riveting, troubling, and complicated story of Julia Ann Chinn (ca. 1796–1833), the enslaved wife of Richard M. Johnson, and US vice president under Martin Van Buren.

Watch on ASALH TV

February 11, 2025

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: 2025 ASALH Book Prize

WATCH ON ASALH TV

SEE THE FINALISTS

February 13, 2025

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: The Reshaping of Racial Labor

The Reshaping of Racial Labor in the Age of A.I. with Dr. Golden Owens

The implications and use of AI and GenAI has a pivotal impact on the lives and experiences of African Americans. Golden M. Owens will explore this through the lens of gender and labor.

Watch on ASALH TV

February 19, 2025

8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: PBS Books Conversation with Mary Frances Berry

Watch on ASALH TV

February 22, 2025

10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Black History Month Luncheon Author’s Book Signing Event

Theme: African Americans and Labor

Step into a celebration of Black brilliance at the ASALH Black History Month Festival Author’s Book Signing event! This is more than just a book signing – it’s a powerful gathering of voices, stories, and legacies that have shaped and continue to shape the fabric of our history. Come connect with authors who bring the richness of Black experiences to life through their words, from tales of struggle and triumph to stories of love, culture, and resilience.

This event is a journey through time, where you’ll not only meet the brilliant minds behind these books but also hear their voices, their journeys, and the passion that fuels their craft. You’ll experience the soul of Black history and culture in every page, every conversation, every signature.

Whether you’re an avid reader or someone ready to dive into the profound depths of African American storytelling, this event is your chance to discover new works, celebrate old favorites, and connect with the storytellers who carry our history forward.

Join us in honoring Black excellence, creativity, and legacy. Come for the books, stay for the soul. Let’s celebrate Black History Month with stories that inspire, empower, and elevate us all. You won’t want to miss this!

Register as an Author

Purchase Tickets

This event is free and open to the public.

Location: The Westin Washington - 999 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

12:00 pm - 4:00 pm: The Annual Black History Month Luncheon

Celebrating Black History for 99 Years

ASALH is continuing traditions established by Dr. Woodson, including hosting an annual luncheon to highlight the Black History theme.  The 2025 Black History Month theme, African Americans, and Labor, focuses on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds – free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary – intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. Indeed, work is at the very center of much of Black history and culture. Be it the traditional agricultural labor of enslaved Africans that fed Low Country colonies, debates among Black educators on the importance of vocational training, self-help strategies and entrepreneurship in Black communities, or organized labor’s role in fighting both economic and social injustice, Black people’s work has been transformational throughout the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora. The 2025 Black History Month theme, “African Americans and Labor,” sets out to highlight and celebrate the potent impact of this work.

Location: The Westin Washington - 999 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Buy Now

Date: February 1-22, 2025

Click Here For More Information