Honoring Black Texans Amid Widespread Discriminatory Policy and White-Washing

Tatum Owens

January 2025 was the longest month ever lived. Texans faced the first assault of horrors chucked at us by the second Trump administration, that included the disorienting, badgering release of executive orders which eliminated federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, petrified millions with the threat of immigration raids, and enabled tech billionaires to raid our Treasury in the name of cutting government spending. Safe to say, every Texan was more than ready to turn over a new leaf by Jan. 31, 2025.

This February, we usher in another year of celebration for Black History Month, honoring the various and profound ways that work of all kinds intersect with the collective experience of Black people for the 2025 national theme, “African Americans and Labor.”

This remembrance is especially significant amid the growing amount of Black entrepreneurs and workers that contribute to 12% of our Texas labor force—as we endure the erasure of recognition for Black historical figures and achievements, a stomping out of current DEI initiatives in our government and education systems to provide equitable opportunities for future generations, and the dismantling of BHM’s celebration nationally by the new administration.

From Progress Texas Institute Board Chair and Staff Attorney for the DNC, Louis Bedford, “Celebrating Black History Month cannot just be a time to reflect on where we have been, but must be where we recommit ourselves to where we need to go. If we are to achieve a truly just and equitable society, we must reject the illusion of trickle-down diversity and demand systemic transformation. Representation matters, but it is only the beginning of the fight—not the end. And if we are unable to commit to dismantling these barriers that persist, the dream of equity and equality will remain just that: a dream.”

2025 as it stands currently, seems pretty bleak at times, but that’s why it’s more important than ever to find the light brought by us banding together and celebrating the multiplicity of what it means to be Texan: with Texas having the largest Black population out of any other state. Our shared commitment to uplifting Black voices and achievements does not end with the removal of federal recognition. Instead, we choose to champion the progress made and pave the way for a better Texas that values and uplifts its Black community, history, and future, despite, and in the face of, the fascist rhetoric that tries to divide and erase.

Progress Texas staff compiled events observing Black History Month across our state, so you can remember the past, celebrate our future, and as the late Congressman John Lewis said, keep getting into “GOOD trouble!”

Events List:

Austin

• Feb. 12: Buffalo Soldiers Heritage and Outreach at the John Gillum Branch Austin Public Library.
• Feb. 20-March 1: Say That Again: A Collaborative Dance Production for Black History Month at the Dougherty Arts Center
• Feb. 22: 4th Annual Celebrate Black Austin
• Feb. 22: Black History Month Kid’s Day at the Carver

College Station and Bryan

• ALL MONTH: Brazos Valley African American Museum
• Feb. 17:  Songs of the African American Soul: Jolie Rocke
• Feb. 25: Brazos’ African American Heavy Hitters

Corpus Christi

• Feb. 7: Lost Voices: Collecting histories in the Coastal Bend Kick off at the Mary and Jeff Bell Library at Texas A&M University
• Feb. 9: Skin Deep: Discussing the Impact of Colorism on Identity Development and Mental Health
• Feb. 8: Bravo! Series: Marian Anderson String Quartet at the TAMU-CC Performing Arts Center
• Feb. 19: Spirit of MLK Awards at the TAMU-CC UC Anchor Ballrooms A&B
• Feb. 21: TAMU CC Black Student Union Afro Fest at the TAMU-CC Oso Room

Dallas-Fort Worth

• Feb. 8: Family Day: Black History Month at the Skillman Southwestern Branch Library
• Feb. 16: Dallas Black History Food Festival at Lofty Spaces off Montgomery St
• Feb. 22: A Joyful Noise: Black History Choir Performance at the Kleberg Rylie Branch Library
• Feb. 22: 2025 “Taste of Soul” Cook-off at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.
• Other Events Listed Here

El Paso

• ALL MONTH: Black History Month Storytime events
• Feb. 6: El Paso Black Arts Association Showcase
• Feb. 8: Black History Tour at the McCall Neighborhood Center

Houston

• ALL MONTH: ​​Rice University’s Black History Month series
• Feb. 7: ‘Aint I A Woman!’ at the Lone Star College’s Tomball Performing Arts Center
• Feb. 8, 15: Films in Focus movie series at the Fort Bend County Libraries’ Missouri City Branch Library
• Feb. 14: After Dark: The Labor of Love at the African American History Research Center
• Feb. 17: SOJES Black History Month program at the Fort Bend County’s University Branch Library
• Feb. 22: Black History Month Family Day at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts
• Feb. 23: Jazzy Sundays in the Parks kickoff event at Emancipation Park, Discovery Green and Buffalo Bayou Park.

San Antonio

• ALL MONTH: Black History River Tour at the San Antonio River Walk
• Feb. 7: Black History Film Series: Miles of Smiles at the Carver Community Cultural Center
• Until Feb. 9: Black Cowboys: An American Story at the Witte Museum

Rio Grande Valley

• ALL MONTH: ‘Black Candle Woman’ by Diane Marie Brown
• Feb. 22: Heritage Gospel Fest at Village in the Valley