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Celebrating Black History Month in Madison

Mary Cait McManamon

Dancers with dark complexion performing on stage. At the center is a dancer in a white flowy dress and headscarf with one arm raised up.
Published January 30, 2025 | Updated January 22, 2026

February is Black History Month—a time to honor and celebrate the rich history, culture and contributions of Black communities. This month offers an opportunity to reflect, learn and engage with the stories and achievements that have shaped our community. Here are some events happening right here in Madison that you can attend to celebrate and participate in Black History Month. 

Step Afrika!'s The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence

Wednesday, February 4 at 7pm at Overture Center  

Experience history brought to life! Watch as the energy of percussive dance, African traditions and contemporary movement collide in a powerful story about the Great Migration. With pulsating rhythms and striking choreography, this celebration of culture and artistry will leave your heart pounding.   

Step Afrika! blends dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, traditional African dances and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive and compelling artistic experience. Tickets start at $36.73. 

Kids in the Rotunda 

Madison Public Library is a great resource for book lists by Black authors. Check out their African American Fiction book list or their African American History & Culture book list to find your next read. You can even sign up for the library’s African American Culture Newsletter. Each month they share new and/or significant books highlighting the African American experience along with community news, resources and events.

Our Kids in the Rotunda series offers free performances every Saturday at 9:30am, 11am and 1pm. Our February line up offers African drumming, hip-hop and jazz! 

February 7 – Drum Power 

The Drum Power advanced performing group features local youth ages 12-16, showcasing drumming and dance from Guinea, Senegal and Mali in West Africa and Salvador Bahia and Rio, Brazil. 

February 14 – NOLA Tribute 

Get ready for a musical journey with the New Orleans Tribute! This talented group, featuring members from Mama Digdown's Brass Band and Madison's top jazz musicians, brings the vibrant sounds of New Orleans Jazz and Secondline music to you—no plane ticket needed. 

February 21 – L.E.X 

L.E.X delivers original kid-friendly hip-hop music with positive themes like regulating emotions, being kind, chasing dreams and navigating childhood experiences.

  • Six young performers wearing blue patterned vests each hand-drumming on stage.

    Drum Power
  • Three men performing jazz with a saxophone, trumpet and trombone and a drum kit behind them. Black and white image.

    NOLA Tribute

  • L.E.X.

Black Heritage Celebration 

Thursday, February 19, 5-8pm at Madison Children’s Museum 

Join Madison Children’s Museum as they honor the contributions of Black people in our community with a celebration featuring Black artists, musicians and leaders. Free admission begins at 4pm and activities continue from 5-8pm. No event tickets are required. 

Moonshine

Friday, February 27 from 3:30-4:30pm at UW-Madison 

This free event brings together campus, community, alumni and students in performance to celebrate Black artistic scholarship and the Black experience with live music, contemporary theater and dance during Black History Month. 

Photo credit: Madison Children's Museum

Bonus! Check out these art exhibitions:

Martel Chapman - Portraits as Jazz/Improvisation in Sound; Improvisation in Form

Overture Galleries, Rotunda Gallery 

Martel Chapman’s work is a tribute to the creators of jazz music who have shaped and inspired him. Drawing from a culture that continues to influence art across the globe—from Africa to the wider world—his work explores improvisation in sound and improvisation in form. View Chapman’s work in Overture’s Rotunda Gallery until Sunday, February 22. Check out this behind-the-scenes video to learn more about Chapman’s creative process. 

Manifest Black

Overture Galleries, Gallery II

View works from artists Marlon Howard Banks and Sharon L. Bjyrd on display now through Sunday, March 8. Visual storytelling of Black presence, power and becoming unites Bjyrd's intimate reflections on Black womanhood and cultural legacy with Howard Banks' homage to diaspora folktale traditions, symbolic realism and his self-defined style, “Forward & Black.” 

  • "The Guardian of Sleep" by Marlon Howard Banks

  • "My Name is Freedom" by Sharon Bjyrd

Artworks Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr 

UW-Madison Memorial Union 

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee presents a curation of topical art pieces from the Wisconsin Union Art Collection. These works are being shown together to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and those who fought for civil rights through visual art. This curation highlights historical struggles for justice and includes artworks from notable Wisconsin artists and former students on campus. They are on display on the second floor of the Memorial Union, located and secured outside the Play Circle now through Saturday, February 28. 

We hope these events help you learn about and celebrate Black History month in Madison! For more content like this, sign up for our quarterly Equity and Innovation newsletter.  

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