Black History Month in Chicago: Ways to Celebrate

The significance of Black history in Chicago has helped shape the city into a cultural and economic powerhouse. And there’s no better time to discover the fascinating details of this legacy than during the Black History Month celebration throughout the city. The Black History Month tradition was actually established in Chicago in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the “Father of Black History.”

Experience the city’s rich cultural offerings while honoring Black History Month in Chicago with exhibits, performances, concerts, plays, tours, and events.

Black History Month in Chicago

Museum and art exhibits

An exhibit during Black Creativity at Museum of Science and Industry Chicago — Black Creativity at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry Chicago

Visit Chicago’s acclaimed line-up of museums and discover thrilling displays that showcase the work of Black artists, innovators, and leaders.

Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibit
Now through April 19, 2026
This annual exhibit is the country’s longest-running display of African American art. The Griffin Museum of Science & Industry exhibit includes paintings, sculptures, mixed media, ceramics, photography, drawings, and fine art prints by African American artists, including teen and youth artists.

Paris in Black
Now open
Transport yourself to Paris from the 1890s through the 1950s, when Black writers, artists, performers and intellectuals created a Black Renaissance in the City of Lights. The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center guides visitors through over 100 objects that document the creative lives of icons like Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes and James Baldwin as they defied American racism and established a glorious Black artistic mecca.

Crafting Character: The Costumes of Paul Tazewell
Now through Sept. 7, 2026
View the dazzling work of legendary fashion and costume designer Paul Tazewell, the first Black man to win an Oscar in best costume design. Tazewell created dresses for “Wicked” the movie, the Broadway production of “Hamilton,” and Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” The Griffin Museum of Science & Industry presents the award-winning designer’s costumes as well as sketches, videos and audio narration.

Injustice: The Trial for the Murder of Emmett Till
Now open
The Chicago History Museum examines the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, the Black teen from Chicago whose brutal lynching and subsequent criminal trial helped spark the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit highlights photos of Till enjoying his life in Chicago and courtroom sketches of the trial.

Connecting Threads — Africa Fashion in Chicago
Now through March 1, 2026
Experience the vibrant tradition of African-inspired fashion through the lens of Chicago-based designers. The Field Museum presents a stunning exhibit of garments, textiles and jewelry that showcase fashion as storytelling and cultural expression.

Explore more: Check out our guide to Black arts and culture in Chicago all year round.

Concerts

Musicians play on the Symphony Center stage — Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Todd Rosenberg Photography

Honor Black History Month with Black music traditions including jazz, Afrobeats, and blues.

Drumline Live
Feb. 1, 2026

A rousing celebration of the HBCU marching band tradition, this performance supplies a synchronized musical showcase of soulful top 40 hits and original compositions set to eye-popping, choreographed dance numbers at the Auditorium Theater.

A Musical Tribute to “Paris in Black”
Feb. 1, 2026
Kick off Black History Month with this musical ode to the newest exhibit at the DuSable Black History Museum, featuring Black Voices in Cabaret and other performers from the Chicago Paris Cabaret Connexion.

First Wednesdays Blues & Beyond with Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
Feb. 4, 2026
Explore the blues and its many variations with the next generation of Chicago blues musicians during this monthly free series at the Logan Center for the Arts.

Jose’ James with Lizz Wright: Marvin Gaye’s I Want You
Feb. 6, 2026
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s pivotal album, “I Want You,” with a soaring tribute by two masterful vocalists. Jose James and Lizz Wright reignite the innovative album that blended jazz, R&B, soul, funk and disco. The Symphony Center concert is followed by a post-concert reception by the CSO African American Network.

Valencia Lacy
Feb. 11, 2026
Spirited vocalist Valencia Lacy takes listeners on a powerful musical journey that traces the evolution of Black music in America. “Journey to Here” features spirituals, gospel tunes, and freedom songs for the Old Town School of Music’s Black History Month celebration.

Black History Concert Series: Voices of A’se (Day One)
Feb. 24, 2026
This free concert series by Uniting Voices celebrates the impact of Africana music on Chicago and the world with a performance by school program singers from all over the city as the culmination of their Black History 360 curriculum. The concert takes place at the landmark Auditorium Theatre.

Tours and events

Historic map of Bronzeville — Photo by Eric Allix Rogers

Dive deeper into Black culture and history with tours of historic landmarks and neighborhoods, panel discussions, and speaker events.

Black History Celebration: Rooted in Resilience
Feb. 4, 2026
This free community event explores the connection between food, art, and culture with a film screening, panel discussion, a cookbook signing by James Beard Award-winning chef Bryant Terry and light bites for sampling at the Logan Center for the Arts.

Woodson Community Heritage Quilt Project
Feb. 7, 2026
The children’s department at Woodson Library hosts an interactive program that examines the textile traditions and symbolism of West Africa. Visitors will create their own fabric squares that they can take home or donate to be sewn into the Woodson Community Heritage Quilt at the end of the month.

Chicago Black Restaurant Week
Feb. 8 – 22, 2026
Sample dishes that reflect Black heritage and innovation during this annual event, which features special deals at restaurants across Chicago.

Commemorative Day: Black History Month
Feb. 28, 2026
Discover the ways that art has created social change in Chicago’s African American community during this interactive event that includes art activities, music and speakers at the Chicago History Museum.

Playlab Playdate: Black History Month Story Time
Feb. 18, 2026
The Field Museum gathers kids from ages 2 to 6 years old for a free story time session that honors Black history, culture, and communities with stories and songs.

Black History Month Tours with Chicago Historian Dilla
Through February
Chicago’s own Emmy Award-winning historian guides visitors through neighborhoods that showcase and commemorate the city’s Black history. Sign up for bus tours of Englewood, Pullman/Roseland, Bronzeville, and North Lawndale during Black History Month with Chicago Mahogany Tours.

Theatre

Enjoy Chicago’s extensive Black theatrical scene with productions that reflect the diversity of the Black experience.

Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till
Feb. 1 – March 1, 2026
The horrific story of the lynching of a Chicago teen in Mississippi is adapted from the actual lost transcripts from the trial of the men who killed Emmett Till by Collaboraction Theater. The riveting production runs at The Kimball Arts Center through February.

Black and Highly Flavored
Feb. 5 – March 20, 2026
The Black Excellence Comedy Revue returns to The Second City with a new set of sketches, songs, and improv reflecting Black joy.

Quiet Parts Out Loud: The Life of A. G. Gaston
Feb. 5 – 8, 2026
This musical that showcases the fascinating life of Black billionaire A.G. Gaston, who opened businesses to serve Black people in the Jim Crow South and used his wealth to help fund the Civil Rights Movement. This production at the Harold Washington Cultural Center reveals how strategy and economics helped shape Black advancement during the 20th century.

Black Cypress Bayou
Feb. 13 to March 15, 2026
A group of women in the East Texas bayou tackles a long-buried family secret that brings up humorous chaos and the reckoning of history. Reparations and how ancestral spirits remain active are showcased in this lively comedy at Definition Theatre.

Squat
Now through March 1, 2026
A couple discovers that their new neighbor, an attractive fitness social media influencer, might be hiding her real identity. As they investigate her life, their own life falls under more scrutiny. Written by Tina Fakhrid-Deen, this production digs into the different effects of truth, clarity, and transformation.

Historic landmarks and monuments

All around Chicago, you’ll find physical reminders of the city’s Black history and culture.

In the South Loop, Quinn Chapel AME stands in stately 19th-century glory as the first African American church in Chicago. It also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad and hosted activists like Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mayor Harold Washington.

Nearby, Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation housed in the Chess Records building, showcases the music and history of legendary Chicago blues musicians, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James and Bo Diddley.

On the South Side, the Gwendolyn Brooks House was home one of the most influential American poets of the 20th century. Brooks was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize. Many of her poems were inspired by the scenes she observed from her Park Manor home.

The streets of the historic Bronzeville neighborhood are lined with monuments and landmarks dedicated to the area’s rich African American legacy. Go on a DIY walking tour of the area and don’t miss the Monument to the Great Northern Migration, the Bronzeville Walk of Fame, the Victory Monument, the Ida B. Wells-Barnett House, and more.

Explore more: Discover landmarks to Black history all around Chicago.

Black-owned businesses in Chicago

Nobody's Darling owners Renauda Riddle and Angela Barnes — Nobody’s Darling owners Renauda Riddle and Angela Barnes, photo by Susanne Fairfax

One of the best ways to celebrate Black History Month is by supporting local Black-owned businesses. Chicago is home to a diverse community of Black-owned restaurants, theatres, shops, and beyond.

Art, theatre, music, and dance

Cafes, bakeries, and coffee