Celebrate Black History & Black Futures
Special Event at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation®
- February 1-28, 2026
Presented by:
Join us at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation during February to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and commit to creating a more just future through our annual recognition of Black History Month.
This year's programming is inspired by the national theme A Century of Black History Commemorations, a milestone year that invites us to consider how Black history has been preserved, shared and understood across generations — and why these acts of remembrance continue to matter. As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, this commemoration also prompts reflection on the enduring influence of Black voices, stories and cultural leadership in shaping American history.
Throughout the month, explore a wide range of experiences, from engaging tours and expert-led conversations to live musical and dance performances, hands-on activities and collection highlights. Together, these programs highlight the many ways Black innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, activists and thinkers have advanced ideas, challenged systems and expanded possibilities of American life.
This celebration also looks ahead to the 2026 opening of the Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson Home in Greenfield Village, honoring the places that ground Black history in lived experience. The Jackson Home is a unique time capsule documenting the inspiring story of a courageous family and community at the forefront of one of the most momentous movements in U.S. history: the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965. Inside this home, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders made historic plans to ensure that all Americans would have the civil rights and voting rights promised to them. The preservation of this historic site reminds us that history endures through spaces that hold memory and meaning.
Special Programs and Performances:
All programs are free for members or included with museum admission unless otherwise noted.
Celebrate Black History Guided Tour | Three Cheers for Black HistoryDaily at 1 p.m. in the Museum PlazaDiscover the untold stories of Black innovators who changed America. Join us as we shine a spotlight on hidden trailblazers throughout American history and celebrate how their lasting legacies have shaped and inspired innovators today. |
Experiment with History | E-q-u-a-l-i-t-yDaily from 10 a.m.-noon in With Liberty and Justice for AllLearn the story of young MacNolia Cox, one of the first African Americans to compete at the National Spelling Bee. Test your skills and see if you can match MacNolia's spelling prowess. |
Story Stroll | "Seven Million Steps: The True Story of Dick Gregory's Run for the Hungry"Daily, starting near Agriculture and the EnvironmentIn April 1976, comedian and activist Dick Gregory set out on a grueling, two-and-a-half-month run with a clear purpose: to raise national awareness about poverty and hunger in America. Follow Gregory's extraordinary journey and discover how his commitment to feeding the hungry carried him across the country — and why his message continues to resonate today. |
Tinkering for Tots | Celebrate Black HistoryTuesday, February 10, from 10 a.m.-noon in the Drive-In Studio near Driven to WinThrough storytelling, play and artifact exploration, we will learn how Rosa Parks challenged the rules to make the world a better place. |
Free Vendor Market | Black Business SaturdaySaturday, February 14, from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the Museum PromenadeSupport local Black entrepreneurs during Black Business Saturday with a vendor market featuring 20+ businesses from across Metro Detroit. Browse a curated mix of food, personal care products, jewelry and accessories, handcrafted goods, books and more. This event is FREE and open to the public. Museum admission is not required to shop. |
Artist & Entrepreneur Phillip Simpson, The Smile BrandSaturday, February 14, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Museum PlazaMeet and be inspired by the uplifting work of Phillip Simpson, artist and founder of the Smile Brand. Get creative with a coloring and button-making activity designed by Simpson. Explore a range of Simpson's art that embodies his belief in "changing the world one smile at a time." |
Arts Feature DaySunday, February 15, in the Museum PlazaEnjoy live performances from local artists and arts organizations that highlight the power of theater, dance and music as expressions of Black creativity and storytelling.
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Kickoff to Engineers WeekSaturday, February 21, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. outside DaVinci The ExhibitionMeet members of the University of Michigan-Dearborn chapters of the National Society of Black Engineers and Society of Women Engineers, and learn how modern engineering innovations are shaping our world. Also, watch Henry Ford Academy's Gator-Bots robotics team demonstrate engineering in action. Then travel back in time to the Renaissance and make a pom pom catapult inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. |
Tony Lucas, "Elijah 'The Real' McCoy"Saturday, February 21, at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. in the Museum PlazaTony Lucas will be reprising inventor and entrepreneur Elijah McCoy, an iconic American inventor who created 57 patents over 80 years. He revolutionized the Industrial Age and brought trains in ahead of time. The performance is approximately 15 minutes. |
Free Screening in Giant Screen Experience | Coded BiasSaturday, February 21, at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in Giant Screen ExperienceCoded Bias explores the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's discovery that facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces accurately, and her journey to push for the first-ever legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in the algorithms that impact us all. Admission is free to the public. Seats will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Capacities are limited. |
Fighting for Freedom: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and the Civil WarSunday, March 1, 2 p.m. in Anderson TheaterPulitzer Prize-winning author, Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black, will discuss her new book, COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War. Through this groundbreaking research, learn how Tubman, the intelligence she gathered, and her ring of spies, scouts and pilots played a central role in the Combahee River Raid, one of the most dramatic episodes of the Civil War and the largest and most successful slave rebellion in U.S. history. The program will conclude with a Q&A session and book signing. Copies of Dr. Fields-Black's book will be available for purchase. |
More to Explore:
Featured Exhibit | With Liberty and Justice for AllExplore the proud and often painful evolution of American freedom, from the Revolutionary War through the struggle for civil rights, in this groundbreaking exhibit. |
Collections Spotlight | For Generations Yet Unborn: Storytelling and Family History Preservation at the Jackson HomeOpening February 7 near Your Place in TimeOpening in Greenfield Village this June, the Dr. Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson Home from Selma, Alabama, holds powerful stories of an ordinary family doing extraordinary things during the Voting Rights Movement. Mrs. Jackson spent the last decades of her life writing a memoir, The House By the Side of the Road, ensuring these stories could be shared with generations to come. In this temporary collections spotlight, explore how everyday people can preserve and share their stories. |
THF Connect App Tour | "Stories of Black Empowerment"Download the THF Connect App to take the curator-led "Stories of Black Empowerment" audio tour through the museum. |
Become a Member
Experience more with membership. Members enjoy free general admission to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village along with benefits like discounts on shopping and dining, free parking and more.
Ticket Prices
Parking is $9 per vehicle for nonmembers, free for members.
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
| Member | Nonmember | |
|---|---|---|
| Senior (62+) | Free | $30.50 |
| General Admission (12-61) | Free | $34.00 |
| Youth (5-11) | Free | $25.50 |
| Children (4 & Under) | Free | Free |
* Seasonal pricing will be in effect throughout the year. The pricing chart reflects the online discount price. There is an additional charge per ticket for purchases made on-site.
