Just over one week into Black History Month in 2024, hundreds of people came to the historic Fort Mose in St. Augustine to listen to one of hip-hop’s most legendary acts: Common.

The LaVilla School of the Arts Black History Month Club held its annual breakfast, titled Black Excellence Inspires.

Mayor Deegan announced the creation of the Mayor’s African American Advisory Board and officially proclaimed February as Black History Month at an event with Jacksonville nonprofit 904WARD on Tuesday at the St. James Building.

In honor of Black History Month, News4JAX is spotlighting an African American male educator who spent 40 years teaching for Duval County Public Schools.

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on Tuesday voted unanimously to relocate the historic beach cottage known as the “Canright House.”

It’s a celebration of Black culture as skaters glide across the rink at Sk8 City in Arlington.

A local children’s author had the opportunity to read and share insight on her book “Mike The Friendly Firefighter” during a literacy event at the Jacksonville Public Library on Saturday.

African Americans are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, asthma, and pneumonia.

The Jacksonville racial equity and justice non-profit 904Ward released the curriculum on Thursday.

The timing couldn’t be better for a new Black History Tour app in St. Augustine. The new innovative tool created by Visit St. Augustine launches during Black History Month.

A new app by Visit St. Augustine and Florida Historic Coast allows you to interactively immerse yourself in St. Augustine’s rich Black history that spans over 450 years.

Black History Month was celebrated in the nation's capital with dueling events on Tuesday highlighting the divide between Democrats’ and Republicans' approaches to courting Black voters in the 2024 presidential election.

Black History Month is a time to remember the struggles and achievements of African Americans. It’s also an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the diverse narratives that have played a pivotal role in history.

From the Revolutionary War to serving in the Middle East: Looking at the history of Black women in the military

President Biden and Kamala Harris are expected to give remarks at a reception to recognize Black History Month.

The Black officers were required to be under white supervisors and were not allowed to arrest whites, the center said.

In honor of Black History Month, Mygani is teaming up with Empowerment Resources Inc. (ERI) a private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering children and their families to become strong and successful leaders. They are excited to host their 9th Curls and Convo event! Mygani's signature event was created to instill the value of self-confidence in women + girls of color regardless of their hair texture or skin complexion. Join them for a HISTORICAL convo about what makes natural hair + black culture magical!

For the first time, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens will honor the life and legacy of Coretta Scott King along with her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King to celebrate MLK Day.

The finalists for the 2024 Jacksonville Image Awards have been selected, and the awards ceremony will be here before you know it! It's the fifth year for the event and this Jacksonville Image Awards helps celebrate Black History Month in February.

James Purcell Small was a coach in Jacksonville, and perhaps you’ve visited J.P. Small Memorial Park, the park named in his honor in the Durkeeville neighborhood. What you might not know is that Small, despite losing most of his vision, continued coaching and mentoring some of the most successful athletes for decades.

President Joe Biden will travel to Alabama on Sunday to mark the 58th anniversary of a landmark event of the civil rights movement.

President Joe Biden says “history matters, and Black history matters,” a forceful declaration that comes after the state of Florida blocked a new advanced course on African American studies from being taught in its high schools.

With the first weekend of the Winter Olympics coinciding with the first weekend of Black History Month, it’s a good time to look back at how both Olympic and Black history was made 20 years ago this month at the Winter Games.

Over the last two weekends, a special celebration honored the significance of the Kingsley Plantation’s Black history. The Kingsley Heritage Celebration started 25 years ago.

Throughout Black History Month, our friend Yolanda “Yollie” Copeland the founder and CEO of Explore JAX Core has been a great resource and guide to our past. Today Yollie walked us through the history of the Buffalo Soldier Regiments and the impact they had on our nation. These all-Black regiments, first established in 1866 by Congress after the Civil War, were primarily made up of veterans who had fought during the Civil War, the U.S. Colored Troops—as well as those formerly enslaved. Buffalo Soldiers were entrusted with important roles during the post-Civil War era—peacetime work as well as active combat to protect U.S. interests. While their duties originally supported government-sanctioned expansion across the United States, all-Black regiments later served in major military actions across the globe:

Daryl Davis — a jazz musician, activist and lecturer — travels the country meeting with members of the KKK and other white supremacist groups.

Not only was Johnson one of the greatest American athletes of all-time, but he also played a role in quelling a tragedy in U.S. history.

Black attorneys make up only 5% of the U.S. population, according to the American Bar Association. One Jacksonville law firm is working to change the narrative and inspire others to get into the legal field while also working to make a difference in their community.

During segregation, Black St. Johns County residents weren’t allowed on any beaches. Not until Frank Butler created one.

George Walker probably could’ve been doing many things in his early 70s that were way more relaxing.

News4JAX is celebrating Black History Month the whole month of February by showcasing local Black men and women making a difference in the community. Dr. Khalil Orsborn is one of the only Black orthodontists in Jacksonville.

Before social media and live streaming, journalism was captured with a pen and paper, and printed in the local newspaper.

Actress and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph helped kick off Super Bowl LVII on Sunday night with a song that is known by many as the “Black national anthem.”

For the first time in NFL history, two Black quarterbacks are playing in the Super Bowl. Here is why that matters.

Here is a look at podcasts to follow for Black History Month.

Whether you feel like you have a strong understanding of black history, or you're working to learn more, we've assembled 10 facts, or anecdotes, from history.com, to help you grow your knowledge base.

Leo and Shirley Grainger pushed to name school after Medal of Honor recipient Robert H. Jenkins Jr.

It all started with one week in 1926, when one organization chose the second week of February to promote the achievements by Black Americans and other people of African descent.

Harold Craw wanted the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to connect with the area’s storied and diverse baseball tradition. What better way to do that than by connecting several local schools with Jacksonville’s past and making an event out of it.

In honor of Black History Month, Mygani LLC is teaming up with Empowerment Resources Inc. (ERI) a private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering children and their families to become strong and successful leaders. We are excited to host our 8th Curls and Convo event!

Here are some ideas on how you can serve on Martin Luther King Jr. Day if you can’t make it to a live event.

To many, February is the month dedicated to celebrating Black Americans’ contributions to a country where they were once enslaved.

President Joe Biden says “it’s time for Americans to get back to work” and he's announcing new efforts to allow people to return to normal activities safely after two years of pandemic disruptions.

On the last day of Black History Month, Fishweir Elementary School grades 3-5 held a “Live Wax Museum” to celebrate those who made an impact on the world.

President Joe Biden welcomed Black leaders to the White House Monday for a jovial Black History Month celebration, where he used the moment to call on Congress to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, and pass voting rights bills.

Celebrating Black Culture. One local middle school is working to reshape how students view their futures.

The Black men who drove horse-drawn carriages through the streets of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia were both everywhere and invisible during the Jim Crow era.

These items “honor the sacrifice of Black leaders of the past while amplifying and celebrating the voices of the Black community today.”

The Academy Awards are happening in March, and in the 94 years the event has been running, only 20 Black actors have won an acting Oscar.

A former small business owner is encouraging local Black entrepreneurs by creating a new way to motivate others.

February is Black History Month. This year’s theme is black health and wellness.

Dozens of people attended the first hip-hop festival hosted by officials at James Weldon Johns Park on Saturday. It featured graffiti artists, rappers, singers, dancers.

As we all know, February is Black History Month, so it’s a great time to brush up on Black history and educate yourself.

A St. Augustine woman is one of many unsung heroes of the Civil Rights movement who was a trailblazer for women working in health care.

Black History Month is February, but Jacksonville has way too much history to squeeze into 28 days. Yolanda “Yollie” Copeland moved to the River City a decade ago. She discovered there was so much to learn about the culture in the city for herself, but she realized that others might be missing out on that knowledge. She became a history detective (her words) and launched Explore Jax Core Tours. Those who book with her get guided tours detailing the history of neighborhoods like Durkeeville, Springfield, Hansonville and more. She learns more as much as she shares and enjoys opening people up to the Black History of Jacksonville.

Michael Rosato knew he had an incredibly important assignment on his hands when he was commissioned to paint a Harriet Tubman mural in Cambridge, Maryland.

You hear it often: There’s a need for blood donors -- but there’s apparently a particular need for the Black community to step up and donate.

St. Augustine city commissioners on Monday recognized James Jackson, for his unwavering fight for civil rights, handing him a signed proclamation declaring February 2022, Black History Month.

Saturday marks 122 years since the song "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" was first performed, and it happened in Jacksonville.

Celebrate Black History Month with bobbleheads!

Black members of President Joe Biden's Cabinet came together Thursday for a Black History Month event highlighting their roles in the administration, some of which are historic firsts.

More than a half-dozen public high schools in Washington, D.

A Pedro Menendez High School student was recently named the winner of this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest in St. Johns County.

Clark aims to colorfully inspire the next generation of artists while intentionally acting as a mirror to society.

House leaders met Friday in Washington, D.C., to discuss a bill that would make “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” the national hymn of the United States.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is throwing his support behind a bill that would make “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” the national hymn of the United States.

Six juveniles described as “tech-savvy” have been identified by the FBI as persons of interest for their suspected involvement in threats to historically Black colleges and universities across the country.

Right now, there are fewer than 10 starting Black quarterbacks in the NFL. But we are seeing more diversity in the next generation of athletes. One local quarterback is changing the game right here in the River City.

Steps from the St. Augustine Beach shoreline, the nearly 100-year-old building, bearing the address 370 State Road A1A, is living history. A history that helped change America forever.

While the world’s attention is about to focus on the Winter Olympics when they start next week, one woman who competes in a Summer Olympics sport is rightfully basking in history.

Betty White has rightfully been remembered fondly for many aspects of her legendary career ever since she died at the age of 99 on New Year’s Eve, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

In order to make it to the NHL, O’Ree had to keep a little secret from the Bruins.

Harris was the leading scorer and rebounder at the 1976 Olympics for the U.S., which won the silver medal.

Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved Black people learned they had been freed, is often celebrated by families across the nation -- with events including cookouts, parades or community festivals.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Teenagers in the I’m A Star Foundation interviewed a multigenerational group of changemakers for their Black History Month special broadcast, “Young, Gifted & Black, Celebrating Kids Making History.”The special was streamed live from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. “I believe this Black history program will let anyone who is willing to listen know that they can change history with time, patience and determination,” said I’m A Star Foundation student host Myia McLaughlin, 17, a senior at First Coast High School. Among those interviewed included Dr. Laurence Morse, a Jacksonville native and alumnus of then-segregated Matthew Gilbert High School and chairman of Howard University Board of Trustees, and civil rights activist, historian and author Rodney Hurst. AdFaith Sampson, 16, Jordan Sanders, 11, and Tiffany Powell, 13, conducted interviews. Additional I’m A Star Foundation student hosts and producers included Valencia Gibson, 15, Javar Collier, 14, and John Robinson, 13.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tatiana Kitchen is a local artist hoping to inspire people in Jacksonville and across the country through her work. “It’s something I enjoy because it’s always been a means of self-expression,” Kitchen said. TATIANA KITCHEN (Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.) TATIANA KITCHEN (Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.) I want to do some murals outside of Florida.”AdTATIANA KITCHEN (Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida NFL YET center is a place of opportunity for more than 2,500 young people across Jacksonville. During Black History Month, News4Jax spoke with children at the club about what they see and hear in their community, and how it makes them feel. During Black History Month, Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida celebrated and honored the men and women who proved dreams can become a reality. AdThe Boys and Girls Club offers a safe place for learning, activity and dialogue. Annual memberships to the NFL YET Boys and Girls Club is $25 per child.

Andrew Young was asked by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to go to St. Augustine and stop a demonstration. King had been arrested in St. Augustine before for peaceful demonstrations against discrimination. “We felt that if we could get the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 passed that would take care of St. Augustine and we would, we could do better in Washington than we could in St. Augustine,” Young, now 88, told News4Jax. King and Young returned the next week to a local diner to get food and make sure integration was happening in St. Augustine. AdHowever, the night in St. Augustine, standing before a group of racist men, remains a vivid memory for Young.

“The only thing that (it) said about Black history was that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. As a NASA engineer and a student of Black history, Robinson knew that the contributions of Black Americans were far greater than what he saw in the 300-page book. “That’s what I would want people to know is that our Black history is not dancing and throwing a ball. We have made many significant strides as a people.”Robinson has been an important part of Black history in America, too. Robinson hopes many more students of color will go on to write a new chapter of Black history that will show up in textbooks one day.

Could you use a dose of positivity in your life?

Vice President Kamala Harris has had quite the rise over the past decade or so: From San Francisco’s district attorney and California’s attorney general, to the Golden State’s senator and now our second in command, right behind President Joe Biden.

It’s where Anna Kingsley, an African woman who became a slave, went on to become a slave owner herself. RELATED: Kingsley Plantation: Journey through time offers living lessonAdNow a collaborative effort between local teens, Groundwork Jacksonville and a few other organizations tells the stories of six enslaved people who lived and worked on Kingsley Plantation, including Gullah Jack. And then his story gets real interesting from there,” said Shanell Davis-Bryant, project manager of Groundwork Jacksonville. I think it’s important for us to take a moment and reconnect with our roots and understand that context of our roots. But know that this is a part of our history, a part of our story.”AdThe Green Team from Groundwork Jacksonville said the idea is to make people feel like they were inside the plantation.

We’ve been asking what Black History Month means to you. And we received a variety of answers, and thought we’d highlight some of the responses.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Black culture stretches further back in St. Augustine history than many may know. “It is a story that needs to be told by everyone and anyone that will listen,” said Fort Mose Historical Society President Charles Ellis. News4Jax's Kent Justice speaks with historian and re-enactor James Bullock and Fort Mose Historical Society President Charles Ellis. “Fort Mose is the birthplace of freedom,” Ellis said. We just need to acknowledge it and to see how that changed people’s lives.”AdTo learn more about Fort Mose, visit the historical society’s website.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Singer-songwriter Ray Charles may have had Georgia on his mind, but North Florida is where his path to fame and fortune began. AdRecreation of Ray Charles' childhood home, now a museum. AdGALLERY: Ray Charles performing throughout the yearsErik Avanier: “As someone who grew up with him, how proud are you of Ray Charles? Ray Charles died in 2004 and left behind a legacy of music, but also financial resources that helped to form the Ray Charles Foundation, which is based in Los Angeles. Ray Charles said: “The inability to hear is a handicap; not the inability to see.” The vision of The Ray Charles Foundation is to instill in the youth of America that “there is no challenge too great one cannot overcome.”There is also the Ray Charles Library in Los Angeles that is a two-story building that Charles built.

They were the epitome of racist law enforcement officials.”Today calls for justice and police reform stems from police killings and excessive force used in Black communities. AdHurst said saying “black lives matter” does not mean it’s instead of anyone, but that it means black lives matter, also. “But the response to that invariably is, ‘blue lives matter.’ Blue lives have always mattered,” he said. “If you really look at these policies they’re not antagonistic towards law enforcement officers. JSO and other law enforcement agencies do have outreach programs and transparency resources for the community.

Fort Mose Historic State Park has partnered with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida to launch a self-guided educational tour experience along the Flight to Freedom Trail. ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – In celebration of Black History Month, Fort Mose Historic State Park launched a self-guided educational tour experience along the Flight to Freedom Trail, bringing to life the rich history of the park year-round. “More than 300 years ago, Fort Mose served as a beacon of hope for enslaved people in what would become the United States. (Courtesy of Fort Mose Historical State Park)“We launched the Flight to Freedom reenactment in 2009,” said Charles Ellis, president of Fort Mose Historical Society. It does this through programs that preserve and protect state parks, educate visitors about the value of state parks, encourage community engagement and active use of state parks, and advocacy.

As we all know, February is Black History Month, so it’s a great time to brush up on Black history and educate yourself.

She’s only 11, but Miah Young has found her passion in life. Horse shows,” said Jeremiah Young, Miah’s father. Miah Young jumps Primrose the Paint. Miah said it makes her happy to know she’s helping raise awareness that competitive riding needs to be more diverse. We’ve ridden at barns, and we don’t see any African Americans,” her mother said.

An artist with quite the following on Instagram has turned heads for some of his work -- which includes illustrations of some of the classic Disney princesses.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Uplifting, strengthening, calming: All three are words to describe music in the Black church. UNCUT: Full interview with Rudolph McKissick Sr., Rudolph McKissick Jr. “In many of your Black churches you had call and response, what is called Dr. Watts in the Black church, where the deacon would sing a line and then you’d repeat it,” McKissick Jr. said. He describes his extended family as “a big time church family,” and references his own upbringing in The Bethel Church. Local community advocate Marsha Oliver grew up in The Bethel Church, singing in the choir as a child and shares how she was able to detect her father’s mood based on the church songs he sang.

But he’s doing just that each and every time out as the general manager of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Craw first joined Jacksonville’s minor league baseball franchise in 2015. And that makes him the longest tenured African-American general manger in minor league baseball history. Both teams donned Jacksonville Red Caps jerseys to celebrate Negro League baseball and Black History Month. Craw is the only current African-American general manager in minor league baseball, and only the second African-American to ever be named a general manager in the minor leagues.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As part of Black History Month, News4Jax has shared local stories about the Civil Rights movement, segregation, Black leaders and Black-owned businesses in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. Black history is all of our history, and News4Jax is committed to bringing you stories about our diverse communities beyond February. You might not know the area was once its own city and was a very prosperous area for members of Jacksonville’s African-American community. “A lot goes into teaching Black history. “That Black history is American history.

Renovated a few years ago, this field in Jacksonville’s historically Black Durkeeville is steeped in African American history. One of the original Negro League teams, the Jacksonville Red Caps, played on the field in 1938. Full Screen Full Screen 1 / 6 Renovated a few years ago, a baseball field in Jacksonville’s historically Black Durkeeville is steeped in African American history. See, they can’t start the game without me.”In 1953, a new era of history for Jacksonville and baseball began when the stadium became the home of the Jacksonville Braves. In 1953, Samuel Wolfson racially integrated the Jacksonville Braves by adding three Black baseball players to the roster.

The Hotel Rita was a lodging facility featured in the Green Book, a Black traveler's guide from the time of segregation. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – To truly understand what it was like to be a Black tourist during segregation, you have to go back to that era and open a book: The Green Book. It was a Black traveler’s guide to finding hotels, restaurants, filling stations, entertainment venues, and other businesses across the country that would serve them. “So, a gentleman by the name of Victor Green published the first Green Book in 1936.”The book was published each year and contained the names and locations of businesses Black travelers could visit. She said to keep themselves and their families safe, Black travelers had to plan out their entire trip from start to finish.

Edward Waters College was founded in 1866 by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church to educate freedmen. TV personality and now Edward Waters College professor Rahman Johnson is a notable EWC graduate. Less than 10 years later, it took on the name Edward Waters College with the support, once again, of the AME Church, named after the third bishop, Edward Waters. Eighty percent of the students at Edward Waters College are first-generation college students, so they’re establishing a new tradition. Even during a pandemic, Edward Waters College hit its highest enrollment in 15 years.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s LaVilla neighborhood was once its own city, where African Americans flourished and prospered. The LaVilla neighborhood was his foundation, where he learned to play football and eventually earned a scholarship to attend college. LaVilla, at one point in the ’20s, had 600 Black-owned businesses,” historian Carol Alexander said. “I think the plan disappeared or somebody squashed the plan because we should be here by now, but we are constantly restarting and restarting and restarting,” Alexander said. “But I think now is the time that it will change, I do feel now is the time of change.”Jacksonville's LaVilla neighborhood was once its own city that boasted 600 Black-owned businesses.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Kingsley Plantation is the oldest standing plantation in Florida. (Provided by Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve)Walking on Kingsley Plantation is like taking a journey back in time. “We know they’re important because here at Kingsley Plantation the enslaved people buried their dead oriented around one of these trees. We never stop learning.”AdA painful, difficult past wrapped in nature’s beauty, Kingsley Plantation serves as more than just a history lesson. AdIf you want to learn more about the Kingsley Plantation, you can head to the site’s Facebook page or go to http://www.nps.gov/timu.