Black History Month

African female model posing
Collage of famous Black people in history.

Our History is Your History

Black History Month is celebrated annually in the United States from February 1 to February 28. Black History Month was originally conceived as a week by historian, Carter G. Woodson, in 1926 and officially designated as a month in 1976 by President Gerald Ford. Black History Month is a time to recognize, celebrate, and honor the contributions, achievements, and legacy of African/Black people in the US.

Equally important, this is a time to raise awareness about the experiences and needs of African/Black people. Other countries around the world, including Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United Kingdom, participate in annual observances of Black History. While Black History Month is celebrated in the month of February, Black History is an ongoing development advanced throughout the African diaspora every day.

Among the notable figures often spotlighted during Black History Month are Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Mae Jemison, Barack Obama, Lorraine Hansberry, Claudia Jones, C.L.R. James, Kwame Ture, Assata Shakur, Paul Robeson, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Amiri Baraka, and many others who have made their mark on Black History.

An exploration of Black history at Texas State

Standing left to right are Georgia Faye Hoodye and Mabeleen Washington Wozniak, while seated are Dana Jean Smith and Gloria Odoms. Along with Helen Jackson (not pictured), these five women made history as the first Black students to enroll at Southwest Texas State University.

February 4, 1963

Standing left to right are Georgia Faye Hoodye and Mabeleen Washington Wozniak, while seated are Dana Jean Smith and Gloria Odoms. Along with Helen Jackson (not pictured), these five women made history as the first Black students to enroll at Southwest Texas State University.

Courtesy of Texas State University

The University Star presents “The 11% Project”, an examination of Black students at Texas State through History, Election, Hometowns, Activism, Creatives, Mentorship and 10 years from now.

The ‘60s started it all. From the first five Black women integrating in 1963, through Johnny E. Brown becoming the first Black student-athlete, to the formation of UMOJA (meaning unity in Swahili), the first Black organization on campus, the decade was a time when Black students laid the groundwork."

About Shirley R. Harris

Picture of Shirley Harris

Shirley Ruth Harris graduated from Edwards High School in Gonzales in 1961, was one of six children, and the first in her family to get a college degree. Her father A.T. Harris was a minister at Wesley Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in San Marcos, Texas.  

Harris was the first Black graduate of Southwest Texas State College (now Texas State University) on May 26, 1967 and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She originally enrolled at San Antonio College and transferred to Southwest Texas State College in 1965. Two years prior to her enrollment at Southwest Texas State College, a federal judge ordered the end of the university’s whites-only policy in response to a class-action lawsuit initiated by Dana Jean Smith, an 18-year-old Black student from Austin, Texas. On February 4, 1963, five women (Dana Jean Smith, Helen Jackson [Franks], Georgia Faye Hoodye [Cheatham], Gloria Odoms [Powell], and Mabeleen Washington) enrolled.

After graduation, Harris worked as an elementary school teacher in the South San Antonio Independent School District for one year. She then taught at San Antonio ISD’s Briscoe Elementary School for 42 years and retired in 2011. Harris passed away in 2018 at the age of 73.

Harris’ legacy is highlighted by her focus as an “all-business person,” dedication to completing her degree, and fearless pursuit of racial equality in education.  

Stay Connected

Black Student Organizations (BSOs) at Texas State University

Visit the Black Presidents' Council (BPC) website to learn more about the functions of the executive committee, and get connected with the more than two dozen Black Student Organizations (BSOs) on campus. 

BHM Books

Universities Libraries

In observance of Black History Month, check out list of book titles available at University Libraries.

Scholarship Opportunities

Cecil and Sandra Mayo Scholarship

Scholarship is awarded by Center for Diversity and Gender Studies with the generous support of Cecil and Sandra Mayo.

Earl Moseley Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship is awarded by the Coalition of Black Faculty & Staff and with the support of Texas State Black Alumni Network.

Black History in San Marcos

The Calaboose Museum serves as a home for African American history and culture in San Marcos and Hays County. Through preservation, events, and education, the museum strives to serve as not only an African American history museum but a center of support for the San Marcos community.

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The Cephas House

The Cephas House

The Cephas House is located in the Dunbar neighborhood, the birthplace of jazz and swing and the neighborhood to San Marcos’ first African American residents. The house is named after Ulysses S. Cephas was a blacksmith and community leader at the turn of the 20th Century.

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Formerly Dunbar School, a public school for Black children since 1847 and moving to this location in 1918, and named after Paul Laurence Dunbar. The Dunbar Recreation Center and Park provide space for events and recreation including cultural preservation events held by The Dunbar Heritage Association. 

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