Colorful Martin Luther King portrait looking upAllyson Felix in motionElla Fitzgerald portrait, facing forward with a smileHarriet Tubman in front of a blue background with shadowsMalcolm XBeyonce in yellow with a microphoneClaudette Colvin draped in flowersSimone Biles in leotard, turning with a smile

Click on an image to view as a slideshow.

Black History Month, or National African American History Month, is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. Each year, the DISC partners with student organizations and campus offices to host events for Black History Month to remember and learn about historical black figures and events. Past events have featured film screenings, marches, speakers, and community service projects. 

Read a student piece written for Black History Month in 2017.

2024 Keynote Speaker: St. Clair Detrick-Jules

Image of a woman looking directly at the camera

Photo by St. Clair Detrick-Jules

February 7, 2024 at 6pm

Strand Union Building Ballroom A

Join author and filmmaker St. Clair Detrick-Jules for a powerful presentation on Black hair, beauty and self-love followed by a Q&A and book signing of My Beautiful Black Hair: 101 Natural Hair Stories From The Sisterhood 

 

 

For an educational experience about the Black community in Montana, please visit the Montana PBS documentary Hidden Stories: Montana's Black Past.

 

2023

Watch:  Films at the Procrastinator Theater in the Strand Union Building ($2 entrance fee)

Do The Right Thing (1989)

Do The Right Thing film poster

Tuesday

February 7th

6:30pm

 

Tuesday

February 14

9:00pm

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Wakanda Forever film poster

Tuesday

February 7th

9:00pm

Soul (2020)

Soul movie poster

Tuesday

February 14th

6:30pm

Stomp The Yard (2007)

Stomp The Yard film poster

Tuesday

February 21st

630pm

 

Tuesday

February 28th

9:00pm      

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

If Beale Street Could Talk film poster

Tuesday

February 21st

9:00pm 

 

Tuesday

February 28th

6:30pm

Read:  Books and Other Resources from the MSU Library

At Montana State University Library, we value diversity, equity, and inclusion. We seek out diverse perspectives, as they challenge us, help us learn, and broaden our worldview. We work to build spaces and services that are equitable and inclusive to all. [Read more about the MSU Library mission, vision, and values.]

The titles on this list have been selected by our librarians and faculty, staff, and students in our community. Many are available in print, eBook, and eAudiobook formats. [Get help with eBook and eAudiobook platforms, software, and apps.]

Do you know a title that we should add to our collection? Tell us about it by completing the MSU Library Purchase Request Form.

Listen: To Short Wave: Black Excellence in STEM

An NPR special podcast series highlighting the Black researchers changing and challenging the STEM fields.

2023 episodes include:

February 6, 2023: What physical blind spots can teach us about social blind spots

"Everyone sees the world differently.  Exactly which colors you see and which of your eyes is doing more work than the other as you read this text is different for everyone.  Also different?  Our blind spots - both physical and social.  As we continue celebrating Black History Month, today we're featuring Exploratorium Staff Physicist Educator Desiré Whitmore.  She shines a light on human eyesight – how it affects perception and how understanding another person's view of the world can offer us a fuller, better picture of life."

 

February 1, 2023:  The ancient night sky and the earliest astronomers

"Moiya McTier says the night sky has been fueling humans' stories about the universe for a very long time, and informing how they explain the natural world. In fact, Moiya sees astronomy and folklore as two sides of the same coin."