Join the Downtown State College Improvement District in the observation and celebration of Black History Month. A plethora of events and resources are available to inform, educate, and inspire State College residents and visitors alike throughout the month of February.

This list is by no means comprehensive, and will be updated as new events and resources become available. If you or your organization are hosting an event you would like us to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on InstagramFacebook, or via email at downtown@downtownstatecollege.com.

2025 Events:

“What Does Purple Sound Like?”A multimedia art installation by Sydnie L. Mosley Dances
February 4 & 5 @7pm | February 6 @2pm | Eisenhower Auditorium

African American Music Festival at Penn State
February 6-8 | Various Locations

African American Music Festival at Penn State Presents
The Cyrus Chestnut Jazz Trio and D. K. Harrell Blues Band

Friday, February 7 | 7:30pm | The State Theatre | $42 Adult/$10 Student

Movie: Hidden Figures
Thursday, February 13 | 7pm | The State Theatre | $12 Adult/$10 Student

Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon
Friday, February 14 | 12-3pm | Dewey Commons, Pattee Library | Free

African American Storytelling with Momma Pam Pam
Saturday, February 15 | 10:30-11am | Schlow Library | Free

I Am Nobody’s Slave: An Author Talk with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Lee Hawkins
Tuesday, February 18 | 2-3pm | Virtual Event | Free

OLLI Online Course: “William Still: Father of the Underground Railroad”
Thursday, February 20 | 7-8:30pm | Virtual | $30 Non-member/$15 Member

Ronnie Burrage & Holographic Principles Concert
February 21 & 22 | 7pm | Manny’s Live Performance Space | $20

Lakecia Benjamin Concert
Wednesday, February 26 | 7:30pm | Eisenhower Auditorium | $30 Adult/$10 Student/$15 Eighteen and Younger

Curator-led exhibition tour, “Defining the New Negro: Voices of the Harlem Renaissance a Century Later”
Thursday, February 27 | 11-11:30am | Meet outside the Paterno Family Humanities Reading Room on the second floor of Pattee Library

Resources:

WPSU Black History Month Programming

Black History Month 2025 Events at Penn State

Virtual Tour of MLK Plaza

African American Chronicles: Black History of Penn State