UB to host 5th annual Teaching Black History Conference

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Center for K–12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education at the University at Buffalo will host the 2026 Teaching Black History Conference, an annual event that brings together hundreds of educators, scholars, students and community members to explore innovative approaches to teaching and learning Black history.

Now in its fifth year at UB, the conference will take place on July 24 – 25, at the university's South Campus and feature more than 70 presentations led by educators from across the United States and Canada. Participants are eligible to earn up to 24 professional development credit hours.

This year’s conference theme is Black Founding Mothers and Fathers and  is inspired by two historic milestones: the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 100th anniversary of Negro History Week, the precursor to Black History Month established by historian Carter G. Woodson. 

LaGarrett King, PhD, pictured above, is the conference leader and director of the Center for K–12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education in the Graduate School of Education, and says that while Black Americans were excluded from many of the promises enshrined in the nation's founding documents, they still played essential roles in shaping the United States and creating institutions that sustained Black communities.

"Black people did not simply stand by while being excluded from the nation's founding ideals," King said. "They created churches, schools, newspapers, mutual aid societies, fraternal organizations and civic institutions that provided opportunity, safety and community. In many ways, they built a nation within a nation. These are the Black founding mothers and fathers whose legacies continue to shape American democracy today."

King says that the conference will examine the individuals, institutions and movements that advanced freedom, dignity and self-determination for Black Americans, while providing educators with practical classroom strategies for teaching this history.

The conference welcomes K-12 teachers, higher education faculty, librarians, museum professionals, community educators, parents, students and anyone interested in learning more about Black history.

This year’s keynote speaker is Michael Harriot, an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, poet and public historian widely recognized for his work interpreting Black history and contemporary culture for broad audiences. Harriot will give his talk, “Everything I Know About Black History, I Learned From Cookie Monster,” on July 24 at 9:10 a.m., in room 190 of the Pharmacy Building.  

Conference sessions will be held in Foster Hall, UB's newly opened Graduate School of Education building on South Campus. Registration information, a full conference schedule, campus map and visitor information are available at https://ed.buffalo.edu/black-history-ed/programs/conference.html.

Media Opportunities

Members of the media are invited to attend conference sessions and interview presenters, participants and conference organizers. Visual opportunities include interactive workshops, educator-led presentations, keynote addresses and activities throughout the conference.

King is available for interviews about the conference, its theme, Black history education and the significance of the 2026 anniversaries.

About the Teaching Black History Conference

The Teaching Black History Conference is the signature annual event of the Center for K-12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education at the University at Buffalo. The conference equips educators and community members with research-based, classroom-ready strategies for teaching Black history while fostering meaningful conversations about the Black experience in the United States and beyond.