February is Black Futures Month
This post was updated in January 2026.
February is Black Futures Month.
Celebrating Black heritage and futures and working to end anti-black racism should be part of our daily lives. Black Futures Month is a chance to do some (re)learning and to recommit to ending the racism and oppressions Black people experience.
Futures vs History
More proof of Douglass’ awesomeness
Black History Month was created by Carter G. Woodson in the United States in 1926. Woodson chose February because both Frederick Douglass (a very cool guy) and Abraham Lincoln were born during February. Canada didn’t declare February Black History Month until 1995.
In 2015, Black Lives Matter co-founder, Ayo (formerly Opal) Tometi, called for the celebration of Black Futures Month:
“The past is a great teacher, but true students and beneficiaries should always ask, ‘where do we go from here?’ It’s our duty to live up to the legacy of those that came before us and not let the sacrifice of our foremothers and forefathers have been in vain. We must envision our future and actively bend the arc towards justice.”
Watch the founders of Black Lives Matter, Alicia Garza, Patrissa Cullors, and Ayo Tometi:
Ytasha L. Womack asks, in her book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, “But when, even in the imaginary future, people can’t fathom a person of non-Euro descent a hundred years into the future, a cosmic foot has to be put down.”
Check out the round up of Missy Elliot’s impact on afrofuturism:
The Californians for Justice blog reminds us, “To celebrate Black Futures Month, we must continue to push back against the systems that seek to only celebrate footnotes of the past. We must require them to envision a bold, bright and Black future.”
Taking Action
What are some ways you can take small and large actions that will last a lifetime?
Be ready to challenge lies that we’ve been taught about Black culture. (Quite often the best place to start is by challenging ourselves.) Californians for Justice crated this handy checklist:
2. Learn the Truth
The few moments we are taught about Black history in Canada, it’s often about our positive role in the underground railroad, but like most history, glosses over the oppressive or hard to talk about parts. Check out the Black history section of the Canadian Britannica for some well researched history.
If you don’t know when slavery was officially banned in Canada (or that it existed at all), please check out this article from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Find even MORE history on the Black Historical Society’s site.
Don’t be like history and forget about whole groups of folks! C. Riley Snorton’s book Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of the Trans Identity is a great read, this month or any time of the year!
#Dothework
Expecting folks experiencing anti-Black racism to always be on call to educate is unfair and disrespectful. Academic and entrepreneur, Rachel Cargle, has a short list of expectations for people who benefit from white privilege:
This is just a start. They will be lots more discussion, resources, learning, celebration of Black heritage and culture on the DWS blog! Check out our Black Futures Reading List and Black Futures Podcast list.