Black History Month

image of 2024 Black History Month Banner. Multiple Colors are shown
February 2024

Black History Month 2024 Events

Welcome to the list of events for Black History Month in 2024 at San Jose State University. We are excited to bring to you this list of events that serve to explore and celebrate Black History Month. These events are brought to you by a wide variety of co-sponsors and co-planners including the Black Leadership and Opportunity Center; the African American Studies Department; the Mosaic Cross Cultural Center; the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Student Involvement; Student Affairs, Campus Life; Student Union; Associated Students; the Writing Center; the MLK Library; and many more. The theme for Black History Month this year is: African Americans and the Arts.

Event OnFeb1

Black History Month Kick-Off

Time:6:00 - 7:30 pmLocation:Student Union Theater
Event OnFeb

An African American Book Festival: Celebrating Black San Jose Book Authors

Location: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Fifth Floor
Event OnFeb6

A Seat @ the Table

Time:5:00 - 6:00 pmLocation:The BLOC
Event On,Feb8

Open Mic Night

Event starts at:,6:00 - 8:00 pmEvent is located at:, Starbucks Lounge (Student Union) (Livestreamed)
Event OnFeb9

Injustice in Focus: The Civil Rights Photography of Cecil Williams (virtual book talk)

Time:TBALocation: Link to Virtual Event TBA
Event OnFeb9

The Tapestry of Black History

Time:12:00 - 1:00 pmLocation:Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Room 225
Event OnFeb12

Thurgood Marshall: A Life Well Lived

Time:4:00 pmLocation:TBA
Event OnFeb13

A Seat @ the Table

Time:5:00 - 6:00 pmLocation:The BLOC
Event OnFeb16

An Exploration of the Music of William Grant Still

Time:12:30 - 1:30 pmLocation:Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Schiro Room
Event On,Feb17

Black Liberation Ball

Event starts at:,7:00 pmEvent is located at:,Student Union Ballroom
Event OnFeb19

A Conversation About Black Historical Relevance, Memory & Forgetting with Dr. Keenan Norris

Time:6:00 - 8:00 pmLocation:Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Room 225
Event OnFeb20

A Seat @ the Table

Time:5:00 - 6:00 pmLocation:The BLOC
Event OnFeb20

What Does Your Blackness Mean to You?

Time:5:00 pmLocation:Student Union Meeting Room 1A
Event On,Feb20

Spartan Speaker Series: Janelle James

Event starts at:,7:00 - 8:15 pmEvent is located at:,Student Union Theater
Event OnFeb21

BLOC's 6 Year Anniversary

Time:12:00 pmLocation:The BLOC
Event On,Feb21

Black Healing Circle: Drumming & Dance Workshop

Event starts at:,6:00 pmEvent is located at:, African American Community Services Agency
Event OnFeb26

Black History Month: Movie Night

Time:6:00 - 9:00 pmLocation:Student Union Ballroom
Event OnFeb26

Invention and Innovation through Black Creationism

Time:6:30 pmLocation:Student Union Meeting Room 3A
Event OnFeb27

A Seat @ the Table

Time:5:00 - 6:00 pmLocation:The BLOC
Event On,Feb28

SJSU Women's Basketball Game

Event starts at:,7:00 pmEvent is located at:,Provident Credit Union Event Center
Event OnFeb28

Beychella Revolution: Exploring the Impact of Beyoncé

Time:7:00 - 8:30 pmLocation:Student Union Meeting Room 5
Event OnFeb29

BLOC Cypher

Time:6:00 pmLocation:Student Union Theater

Black History Month Kick-Off

Join us to celebrate and commemorate the start of Black History Month!

Open Mic Night: Black History Month

Our monthly Open Mic Night, in collaboration with Mosaic, The BLOC, and Student Union Events. As usual, our Open Mics are live-streamed on the Mosaic YouTube page.

Sponsored by Mosaic Cross Cultural Center and The BLOC

Sign-up to perform Here

Injustice in Focus: The Civil Rights Photography of Cecil Williams (virtual book talk)

Cecil Williams and Claudia Brinson Smith, co-authors of "Injustice in Focus: The Civil Rights Photography of Cecil Williams" will give a virtual book talk on their forthcoming book.

Sponsored by Department of African American Studies & Department of Art and Art History

The Tapestry of Black History

True historical accounts of the Black American experience told through the intricate threads of handmade quilts. Join educator and historian Khristel Johnson for a unique recounting of periods in Black American history.

Sponsored by MLK Library

Thurgood Marshall: A Life Well Lived

Dr. Jim Armsteead will present a first person impression of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Civil Rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall and take questions in character. He will then provide his own perspective on the life and times of this famous and important jurist. This event is sponsored by the Departments of History and African American Studies. 

Sponsored by Department of African American Studies & Department of Art and Art History

An Exploration of the Music of William Grant Still

Join the students of Dr. Micheal Hernandez, San José’s award winning Echo Quartet as they perform and discuss the life and music of William Grant Still in this unique recital.

Sponsored by MLK Library and School of Music and Dance 

Black Liberation Ball

The Black Liberation Ball is a exhibition Ball, meaning it is less competitive and more focused on education, socializing, having fun, and showcasing talent in a lighthearted atmosphere.

Sponsored by The BLOC, Mosaic, and PRIDE Center

Buy Tickets Here

A Conversation About Black Historical Relevance, Memory & Forgetting with Dr. Keenan Norris

Who knows who David Walker was? Why has one of the central figures in the movement to abolish slavery largely been forgotten and why is knowledge of Walker's life and work so important to present day battles over book bans, critical race theory and social justice? Keenan Norris uses the digital humanities to investigate these questions and to open up a dialogue about pressing current-day concerns.

Sponsored by MLK Library and Department of English and Comparative Literature 

Learn more here.

Spartan Speaker Series: Janelle James

The Spartan Speaker Series is bringing award-winning actress and comedian Janelle James, best known for her role as Principal Ava Coleman in Abbott's Elementary, to SJSU. Janelle will be here to speak about her experiences as an actress, a comedian, and what it's like succeeding in the industry.

Event will be live in Student Union Theater and livestreamed online.

Sponsored by Student Affairs Campus Life

RSVP for the Livestream here

What Does Your Blackness Mean to You?

What does your blackness mean to you? Join the Black Student Union as we tackle this question together as a community.

Sponsored by the Black Student Union

BLOC's 6 Year Anniversary

Celebrate the BLOC's 6th year anniversary! 

Sponsored by The BLOC

Black Healing Circle: Drumming & Dance Workshop

Come take a mental break with the BLOC Kuumba and Ujima's Ubuntu Wellness as we teach the relationship between African rhythms and dance that is guaranteed to heal the soul!

Happening at African American Community Services Agency (304 N Sixth St, San Jose, CA)

Sponsored by The BLOC, Kuumba, and Ubuntu Wellness Center

Black History Month: Movie Night

Come and watch a movie with us! Watch together in community. Movie will be announced soon.

Sponsored by Student Involvement, Student Union, Inc., The BLOC, and Associated Students

Invention and Innovation through Black Creationism

We are still filling in more details; however we will use the meeting space to display and debut the inventions many black scientists and engineers would come to make in their careers.

Sponsored by College of Engineering 

SJSU Women's Basketball Game!

Come watch the SJSU Women's Basketball Team face off against Wyoming! Go Spartans!

Buy Tickets Here

Beychella Revolution: Exploring the Impact of Beyoncé

Come join us for an exploration of the impact of Beyoncé on the arts, culture, and the feminist movement! Take a close look at Beyoncé's "Beychella" performance and learn more about her as an artist, as well as the wonderful black and queer dancers, musicians, and performers featured within her performance.

Sponsored by Gender Equity Center 

BLOC Cypher

Join us in community as we make music together by honoring the arts of hip hop, battle rap, beat boxing, and cypher histoy!

Sponsored by The BLOC and Mosaic

An African American Book Festival: Celebrating Black San Jose Book Authors

In celebration of Black History Month, a collection of books (in post format) will be on display encompassing various genres, History, Biography/Memoir, Self-Help/Self-Awareness, Novels, Children's books, Christian, Art  and Photo books. This exhibit will highlight the importance of Black Studies, Black voices, and Black Authors who use the artform of the written word to preserve history for the empowerment of the Black community.

This event is curated by Dr. Michael Cheers.

Sponsored by AAACNA Studies Center and the Department of African American Studies

A Seat at the Table

Join us for our weekly critical dialogue space at the BLOC, centering the voices and perspectives of the Black community. Held every Tuesday evening at The BLOC.

Sponsored by The BLOC