Celebrating A Century of Black History Commemorations

Welcome to the Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Pittsburgh Branch of ASALH

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Pittsburgh Branch of ASALH, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, established in 1915 by Carter G. Woodson.

Here you can join the ranks of thousands of other members and experience the richness of the ASALH organization, activities and events, and how we labor in the service of Black people and all humanity.

Feel free to contact us with any questions you have about the organization, our ongoing work, or membership.

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ASALH 2026 National Theme: A Century of Black History Commemorations

The 2026 Black History Month theme, A Century of Black History Commemorations invites individuals and communities to reflect on a century of remembrance, explore how commemorations have shaped public understanding of Black history, and consider their role in transforming social status, identity, and cultural recognition. It emphasizes the power of intentional commemoration — from early local traditions of celebrating emancipation and historic milestones to today’s wide-ranging programs in schools, museums, workplaces, and public life — as a tool for education, affirmation, and resistance.  

At its core, A Century of Black History Commemorations asks us not only to honor the past but to understand how the act of remembering has influenced the present and how future commemorations can deepen justice, inclusion, and truth in historical narratives. 

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Celebrations

JANUARY 16:
Branch First Vice Rev. President B. De Neice Welch, PhD was honored at her Retirement Dinner. Dr. Welch retired from her role as Senior Pastor at Bidwell Presbyterian Church.

Community Events

JANUARY 31	Membership Recruitment Event at UPMC Neighborhood Center in East Liberty
FEBRUARY 7	Hosting the United Black Book Club event at the Homewood Library from 1:00 to 3.
FEBRUARY 10	Hosting a table at the Black History in Hazelwood Humanity Event.  Affiliated With Garden of Different Abilities.
FEBEUARY 14	Our Branch is being honored by the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women at the Rivers Club at 6:00 PM

ASALH 2026 National Theme: A Century of Black History Commemorations

“The goal of Negro History Week was to study, teach, and promote the significant contributions…

…that Black people had made to American society. From our writers to our inventors, our politicians to our teachers, our artists to our musicians—it was designed to document our lives from American slavery to freedom and to fill the historical gaps deliberately overlooked to miseducate our children. In 1976, Negro History Week, which by then had evolved into Black History Month, was officially recognized and proclaimed by President Gerald Ford. We are now at a moment where we are celebrating a century of Black History Commemorations—50 years of Negro History Week and 50 years of Black History Month.

“We built this country. We tamed the land, and we cultivated the crops. Our unpaid labor and the buying and selling of our bodies are the cornerstone of America and of American capitalism. Our blood is mixed with the soil, and the wind carries forward our tears of both sorrow and joy. We fought in the wars for democracy abroad and at home. James Baldwin once wrote, in an open letter to Bishop Desmond Tutu, that the fight for Black freedom makes white freedom possible. “Indeed,” he notes, “our freedom, which we have been forced to buy at such a high price, is the only hope of freedom that they have.” To celebrate America at this moment requires us to fully situate ourselves within the narrative, not as a footnote, but as main characters who have helped shape this American experience and the American story.” —ASALH

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2026 ASALH Book Prize Finalists.

Black history is American History, and as we have done every year since 1926, we will proclaim and celebrate Black History Month!

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