Black History Month

The University marks the annual celebration of Black History Month with an array of events, including discussions, lectures, exhibitions, and performances.

From Thurgood Marshall to Angela Davis, the University has hosted some of the most important Black activists, authors, speakers, and leaders over the years.

Beatrice Amaza Howard earned two degrees at the University of Rochester before beginning a career as a public school teacher.

Charles Augustus Thompson is believed to be the first African American graduate of the University. While a student at Rochester, he immersed himself in a mix of science (physics, chemistry, physiology) and liberal arts (Roman law, rhetoric, and four languages).

By the time of her death at age 103, Olivia Hooker ’62 (PhD) was an early witness to devastating acts of racist violence, the first African-American woman to serve in the Coast Guard, and a prominent psychology professor.

Sponsors and host organizations across the University are planning events to celebrate black history.  Check the calendar for events throughout the month of February.

Throughout February, sponsors and campus organizations will host lectures, films, performances, family events, and more as students, faculty, and the Rochester community celebrate Black History Month.

As February draws to an end, members of the University of Rochester community offer their thoughts on the ways in which black history is inseparable from American history.

Like most African Americans born into slavery, Frederick Douglass was never told the date and year of his birth. He chose February 14 as the day on which to celebrate it, and in 2018 we celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth. At the University of Rochester, one of the most extensive collections of Douglass artifacts in the country can be found in Rush Rhees Library.

Victor Garza '19, left, and associate professor of English Gregory Heyworth prepare to scan the marble bust of Frederick Douglass in the Frederick Douglass Building . The students in Heyworth’s Digital Imaging class are using a structured light scanner to create a digital rendering of the marble bust. Their goal is to create a file that can be accessed and the bust reproduced anywhere with a 3D printer. (University of Rochester photo / J. Adam Fenster)