Black Legacy Month 2026
BLM 2026: Lighting A Fire, Leaving A Legacy
Black Legacy Month is a time for celebration, remembrance, and reflection, a moment to honor the brilliance, struggle, and triumph that have shaped the Black experience at Dartmouth and beyond.
This year, we commemorate a remarkable lineage: 100 years since the creation of Negro History Week, 50 years of Black History Month, and 10 years of Black Legacy Month at Dartmouth. Each milestone represents a flame, lit by those who believed in the power of history to guide, unify, and transform.
Under the theme "Lighting a Fire, Leaving a Legacy," we center the endurance of Black legacy as both inheritance and responsibility. We honor those who sparked movements, built institutions, and carried stories forward, and we recognize that the torch now rests in our hands.
Our programming this month will explore how legacy shows up in every dimension of Black life—through art, scholarship, music, memory, and movement.
Together, we reflect on the generations who paved the way while igniting new fires for the ones to come.
We are the light that continues to burn.
We are the legacy still being written.
BLM 2026 Calendar
BLM 2026 Opening Ceremony
BLM 2026 Opening Ceremony
Sunday, February 1st, 2026 at 6PM
Collis Common Ground
The first day of February is when we celebrate the start of Black Legacy Month. We talk about the importance of the month, celebrate our existence at Dartmouth, and appreciate our own student speakers and performers. Giving a space for people to eat, mingle and kick off the month of events we have planned.
Launch the NEXT Frontier: An Evening with NASA Astronauts Dr. Mae Jemison and Dr. Jay Buckey
Launch the NEXT Frontier: An Evening with NASA Astronauts Dr. Mae Jemison and Dr. Jay Buckey
February 3rd 2026 at 6PM
Black Visual Arts Center
Dartmouth NEXT cordially invites you to attend Launch the NEXT Frontier: An Evening with NASA Astronauts Dr. Mae Jemison and Dr. Jay Buckey. The event will begin with a panel discussion in Loew Auditorium followed by a delightful reception at the Top of the Hop on Tuesday, February 3, 2026!
Two pioneers of space exploration will share their personal journeys, challenges, and visions for the future of science, technology, engineering, innovation, and medicine. It's more than just a talk-it's a launchpad for the future.
Your attendance is highly encouraged! To that, please click here to RSVP https://forms.gle/uSPJYombbWASQQ6h7.
Please also note that spots will fill up quickly. Limited in-person seating. *Livestream will be available!
*Special Gifts: Limited amounts of commemorative mission patches inspired by the launch series will be available.
During the reception, Dr. Buckey will also sign his book "The Neurolab Spacelab Mission: Neuroscience Research in Space: Results from the STS-90, Neurolab Spacelab Mission"! (Limited Copies)
Boston Trip
Boston Trip
February 6th, 2026
Join us for a Boston Trip in honor of Black Legacy Month, where we will explore historic museums and landmarks that highlight the powerful legacy of Black people. This immersive experience celebrates Black history, culture, and contributions while connecting the past to the present.
The Wiz Screening
The Wiz Screening
February 7th, 2026
Noted for its lively score and all-Black cast, director Sidney Lumet's film features a stellar array of iconic entertainers, including Diana Ross as Dorothy (reconceived for the film as a shy Harlem schoolteacher), Michael Jackson as Scarecrow, Lena Horne as Glinda, and Richard Pryor as The Wiz. Adapted from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and nominated for four Academy Awards, this classic movie musical has been embraced by generations and showcases an ensemble of legendary talent.
D: Sidney Lumet, US, 1978, 2h18m, Closed Captions
Co-sponsored by the Programming Board. Programmed as part of the Dartmouth Film Society series "Music and the Movies," for Winter Carnival and in celebration of Black Legacy Month
Superbowl Watch Party
Superbowl Watch Party
February 8th, 2026
Celebrate Black Legacy Month at our Super Bowl Watch Party, where community, culture, and the excitement of the big game come together. Join us for an evening of connection, pride, and game-day energy as we honor Black excellence on and off the field.
Afro-Asian Solidarity Dinner
Afro-Asian Solidarity Dinner
February 9th, 2026 at 7PM
Shabazz
DAASC, MOSAIC, NAACP and OPAL will be hosting an educational event around the shared histories of solidarity and struggle in the Black and Asian American communities in the Shabazz Mural Room. There will be food (while supplies last), activity and discussion.
Crowning Our Legacy
Crowning Our Legacy
February 11th at 6PM
Shabazz Mural Room
Join us for Crowning Our Legacy, a celebration of Black beauty, identity, and self-expression through hair. This event honors the rich legacy of Black hair care — from cultural roots and creative innovation to community empowerment and self-love. Through live demonstration, open conversation, and hands-on care tips, we'll explore how our hair continues to tell stories of resilience, artistry, and pride. There are also opportunities to win products and devices through raffles and cultural trivia activities! Come connect, learn, and celebrate the crown you wear every day, whether you're looking for new hair care products or routines, cultural insight, or simply a space to honor the beauty of Black heritage.
Black Love Gala
Black Love Gala
February 14th, 2026 at 7:30PM
Collis Common Ground
Enjoy a night of bliss and relaxation at the Black Love Gala. Come dance, enjoy music and snacks. The night will feature mocktails to theme!
Boy's Talk & Girl's Night
Boy's Talk
February 15th, 2026 at 5PM
Shabazz Basement
Girl's Night
February 15th, 2026 at 5PM
Shabazz Mural Room
Rauner Exhibit
Rauner Exhibit
February 17th, 2026 at 6PM
Take a trip through the decades with Rauner Library and look through the records of Black History.
Al-Nur Collab: Iftar and Malcolm X
Al-Nur Collab: Iftar and Malcolm X
February 21st, 2026 at 5PM
Shabazz Mural Room
Join the Al-Nur Muslim Student Association and Black Student Advising during Black Legacy Month to enjoy a community potluck iftar, maghrib prayer, and a presentation on the life of Malcolm X.
Echoes of Us
Echoes of Us
February 22nd, 2026 at 6PM
Shabazz Mural Room
This event invites students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members from all backgrounds to come together in celebration of Dartmouth's Black community and its enduring impact on campus life. Participants are encouraged to contribute items, letters, photos, or reflections that capture what this moment in time means to them — individually and collectively. Together, we'll create a time capsule that preserves our shared stories, celebrates our diversity, and honors the voices that continue to shape Dartmouth's history. Whether you come to share, listen, or learn, your presence helps ensure that our collective story is rich, inclusive, and lasting.
Untold Legacies: Black & Queer Media Screening and Discussion
Untold Legacies: Black & Queer Media Screening and Discussion
February 24th at Time TBD
Triangle House
Join OPAL as we collaborate across Black and Pan-African Student Advising and LGBTQIA+ Student Advising to explore how legacy shows up when multiple marginalized identities intersect by watching a Black queer film and discussing it together. After watching a film that depicts historic Black and queer legacies, we'll talk about how themes from the piece appear throughout history and modern life such as race, gender, sexuality, and how these impact our community building, our change-making, and our own legacies. Food provided!
The Blackening Screening
The Blackening Screening
February 26th at 6PM
Loew Auditorium
Join us for The Blackening Screening on 2/26/26 at 6:00 pm in Loew Auditorium as we celebrate Black Legacy Month through film and conversation. Centered on the theme of lighting a fire and leaving a legacy, this event honors Black creativity, resilience, and the power of storytelling to inspire future generations.
Collis Take Over with Collis After Dark (CAD)
Collis Takeover
February 28th, 2026 at 8PM
Collis Common Ground
This is an event to promote bonding within the black community by engaging everyone in various activity rooms including : family feud, spray paint hats, movie room, relaxation activity room, and game room. There will be snacks provided!
Link to Still North Book List for Feb
BLM 2026 Planning Committee
Co-Chairs:
- Kayla Pena '27
- Aminata Bathily '28
Committee Members:
- Tyler Brown '26
- Travis Owusu '26
- Lex Dallas '26
- Ivie Aiwuyo '26
- Dylan Dunson '26
- Kambrian Winston '26
- Ajayda Griffith '27
- Makayla Charles '27
- Kofi Asare-Bediako '28
- Muna Munachiso '28
- Temitoro Bailey '28
- Dominique Quiñonez '28
- Rian Mohamud '29
- Kabirah Azeez '29
Advisor: Zantasia Johnson
For more information:
kayla.pena.27@dartmouth.edu
aminata.f.bathily.28@dartmouth.edu
2026 Sponsors & Collaborators
The Office of Pluralism and Leadership (OPAL); African and African American Studies (AAAS); Afro American Society (AAm); Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.; Black Girls Are Magic (BGAM) ; Collis After Dark; Boco Soca; Dartmouth Alliance for Children of Color (DACC) ; Dartmouth Black Student Athlete Association (DBSAA); Dartmouth Conferences and Special Events; Dartmouth Department of Philosophy East Wheelock House; Greek Life and Student Societies (GLASS); Institutional Diversity & Equity (IDE); Leslie Center for the Humanities; Men of Color Alliance (MOCA); National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Rockefeller Center; School House; Shabazz Living Learning Community; South House; the Hood Museum; Special Events Committee (SPEC); Still North Books & Bar; Rauner Special Collections Library; and the Tucker Center for Ethical and Spiritual Life