Black History Month is reaching a milestone in 2026: a century since historian Carter G. Woodson and colleagues launched what began as Negro History Week and grew into a national observance. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), which Woodson helped found, set this year’s theme as “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” starting February 1, 2026, urging the public to examine how commemorations have shaped modern life and the status of Black people. ASALH

That centennial arrives as many public health leaders say the nation is still grappling with long-standing inequities that shape who gets sick, who gets timely care, and who lives longest. Federal health officials and researchers increasingly point to “non-medical drivers of health”—including income, education, neighborhood conditions, and insurance coverage—as forces that can determine outcomes as much as medical care itself. The U.S. Office of Minority Health, for example, notes that these factors can affect health and quality of life and contribute to disparities for Black communities.

In the health world, the story of Black history is also a story of Black medical professionals, community organizers, and advocates who pushed institutions to change—often amid discrimination that limited access to hospitals, insurance, or respectful treatment. The centennial theme is a reminder that commemoration is not only about remembering accomplishments but also about recognizing unfinished work, including in health.

Disparities that remain in 2026

Some of the clearest measures of unequal outcomes show up around pregnancy and childbirth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says Black women are three times more likely than White women to die from a pregnancy-related cause, and the agency emphasizes that most pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable with timely recognition of warning signs and respectful, quality care. In recent national reporting on CDC data, the Associated Press has also highlighted that while overall maternal mortality fell in 2023, the racial gap remained stark, with Black women dying at a rate nearly 3.5 times higher than White women.

Heart disease and stroke remain another major fault line. The American Heart Association (AHA) reported in early 2025 that nearly 60% of Black adults ages 20 and older have some form of cardiovascular disease, including conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and hypertension. In the same AHA release, the organization’s chief volunteer scientific and medical officer, Dr. Keith Churchwell, framed the challenge as bigger than data: “The science is clear—Black communities continue to face disproportionate risks,” he said, adding that progress comes when solutions are built directly with communities.

Researchers have also tried to quantify how geography and race together shape longevity. A major analysis tied to The Lancet and summarized by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation described widening life expectancy differences across U.S. populations, with gaps that can reach two decades depending on where people live and the social and economic conditions around them.

Public health experts often stress that these patterns are not explained by biology alone. The CDC points to differences in access to quality care, underlying chronic conditions, and social determinants of health that shape the chances of having “fair opportunities” for physical and emotional health. Advocates have long argued that racism in housing, employment, environmental exposure, and health care can compound risk over a lifetime, influencing everything from stress-related illness to the ability to find a trusted clinician.

What’s shifting, and why the centennial matters

While disparities remain, health systems and policymakers are facing growing pressure to change practices that lead to preventable harm. In a February 2026 update, the American Hospital Association described how hospitals are using structured approaches to improve maternal health and reduce preventable complications—work that comes amid sustained public attention to the risks Black mothers face.

National organizations also say the path forward requires investments outside clinic walls. The AHA, in its health equity messaging tied to Heart Month and Black History Month activations, has argued that closing survival gaps depends on education, advocacy, and community engagement, including efforts to expand lifesaving skills and address barriers such as access to high-quality care. The Office of Minority Health similarly underscores that understanding the “unique environments, cultures, histories, and circumstances” of Black communities is fundamental to improving outcomes.

The theme chosen by ASALH—focusing on the impact of commemoration—may resonate in health policy debates because narrative shapes priorities. When the public understands the historical roots of unequal access to care, researchers say it becomes harder to treat today’s disparities as inevitable or accidental. And when communities see their lived experiences reflected in official data and news coverage, it can strengthen demands for accountability, from safer maternity care to better blood pressure control, stroke prevention, and investments in neighborhood conditions that support healthy lives.

Black History Month’s centennial is, at its core, about what is remembered and what is acted upon. In 2026, the observance is not only revisiting a century of commemoration—it is also arriving at a moment when the nation’s health statistics continue to show sharp gaps that researchers and clinicians increasingly describe as preventable. The question many advocates are raising this February is whether the next century of remembrance will also be a century of measurable progress, especially for communities that have too often carried the heaviest burden of disease and the greatest barriers to care.

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