Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus | Black History Month

Every February we celebrate Black History Month as a way to honor the history, achievements, and legacies of Black Americans. The month is an important time to recognize the tremendous contributions African Americans’ have had in our country and Commonwealth throughout history.

The theme for Black History Month 2025 is African Americans and Labor. This year's theme aims to highlight and honor the significant contributions of Black Americans, emphasizing how various forms of work intersect with their shared experiences. This encompasses both paid and unpaid labor, skilled and unskilled roles, as well as vocational and voluntary work. Throughout history, work has been a central element of Black culture and heritage.

Viewing the work of Black people from a broad perspective offers a rich and multifaceted lens for exploring Black life and culture across time and space. In this context, work includes not only paid labor in factories, the military, government positions, offices, public service, and private homes, but also the community-building efforts of social justice activists, volunteers, and those involved in institutions like churches, community organizations, and social clubs. In every one of these areas, the work that Black people have done and continue to do has played a crucial role in shaping both their own lives and cultures, as well as the broader societies they inhabit. Understanding the diverse forms of Black labor and its profound impact is key to fully grasping the histories, lives, and cultures of Black people.

Pennsylvania is the birthplace and home of many people who contributed greatly to the state’s labor history. Individuals such as Stephen Smith, born in Lancaster in 1795, was among the wealthiest Blacks in the America with his coal, lumber, and real estate ventures. Duke University's campus. Or Bayard Rustin, born in West Chester, who was instrumental in organizing the 1963 March on Washington and served on the executive council of the AFL-CIO. Or our own Speaker K. Leroy Irvis, chosen as the first African American Speaker of the Pennsylvania House, and current Speaker Joanna McClinton, the first Black woman elected as state House Democratic leader and speaker. 

There are many ways to recognize Black History Month in Pennsylvania. Take time to read about influential African Americans from Pennsylvania who shaped history by going to your local library or bookstore. Participate in cultural celebrations all across the state. Food is culture. Share a Caribbean, African or traditional African American recipe.

For more information on this year’s Black History Month theme, visit the website for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Here are some additional African Americans, who had a profound impact labor in America, that were born or lived in Pennsylvania: