Bluefield State University Announces 2026 Black History Month Events Rooted in Place, Legacy, and Community

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Long before it became known as Bluefield State University, the institution now perched on a hill above the city was founded with Black students at its center.

Established in 1895 as the Bluefield Colored Institute, Bluefield State was created to educate formerly enslaved people and their descendants in southern West Virginia at a time when segregation shaped every aspect of public life. For decades, the school served as a critical pipeline for Black teachers, tradespeople, nurses, and civic leaders in the coalfields, anchoring Black life in Mercer County and far beyond. Though the institution was later integrated and eventually became predominantly white, its Black origins remain foundational to its story—and to the city of Bluefield itself.

That legacy takes center stage this February as Bluefield State University announced a slate of events to commemorate Black History Month 2026, organized by the University’s Black History Committee and open to both campus and community.

According to a university press release, the month-long observance will feature educational programming, cultural celebrations, health advocacy, student showcases, and public history tours that connect the campus to the surrounding Black neighborhoods that helped shape it.

Honoring Black Bluefield from the Ground Up

The celebration begins on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. with an African American Cultural Heritage Tour highlighting Bluefield’s historic Northside–East End district. The area has long been a hub of Black life in the city—home to churches, businesses, social clubs, and families who sustained community through Jim Crow, coal booms and busts, and ongoing economic shifts.

By situating Black History Month in the streets and stories beyond campus gates, the tour underscores a truth often overlooked: Bluefield State’s history is inseparable from the Black community that built and defended it.

That same afternoon, Black history will be honored on the court. At 2:00 p.m., Bluefield State’s women’s basketball team will face Bowie State University, followed by the men’s matchup at 4:00 p.m. at Ned Shott Gymnasium. The games are part of Greek Night, recognizing historically Black fraternities and sororities and their enduring role in leadership, service, and cultural life.

Health, Celebration, and Community Recognition

On Thursday, February 13, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., the university will host a Heart Health Workshop in the Jefferson Student Center. Timed with American Heart Month, the workshop centers African American heart health awareness and is open to the broader community—reflecting ongoing disparities in health outcomes and the importance of culturally grounded prevention and education.

The month’s signature gathering follows on Saturday, February 21, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with the 3rd Annual Black History Month Luncheon, also held in the Jefferson Student Center. The luncheon will include a guest speaker, live music, interactive Black history trivia with prizes, a catered meal, and presentation of the 3rd Annual Community Engagement Award, recognizing local leadership and service.

Tickets for the luncheon are available online, with early bird pricing at $25. After February 11, tickets will be $30.

Centering Students and the Next Generation

On Friday, February 27, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Bluefield State will host the 1st Annual Black History Month Student Fair, welcoming students from Mercer County schools to present Black history projects to a judging panel. Top projects will receive awards, with all participants earning recognition—an investment in young people learning to research, tell, and honor Black history for themselves.

The month concludes on Saturday, February 28, 2026, with a second African American Cultural Heritage Tour, reinforcing the importance of place-based memory and storytelling.

Honoring Black Excellence, Past and Present

Throughout February, banners will be displayed across campus honoring individuals who made “significant local and national contributions.” The 2026 honorees include Booker T. Washington, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Stone, Edward Mitchell Bannister, Col. Vandy Leonard Miller, Henry Lake Dickason, Congressman John Lewis, Garrett Morgan, and others—alongside regional figures whose impact is woven into West Virginia’s Black history.

In a state where Black stories are often erased or sidelined, Bluefield State University’s Black History Month programming offers something deeper than celebration alone. It’s a reminder that Black history in West Virginia is not an add-on—it is foundational.

And at Bluefield State, it always has been.