Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist and I are proud to recognize February as Black History Month in Michigan.





*February 4, 2026*



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Gov. Whitmer tours the new Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club, a first-of-its-kind, 15,000-square-foot facility for Detroit youth, expanding access to real-world learning and opportunity inside of a thriving innovation ecosystem.

Dear Friend,

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist and I are proud to recognize February as Black History Month [ [link removed] ] in Michigan.

This month, we recognize and celebrate the essential and powerful role Black Americans have played in moving Michigan and our nation forward. Black history is American history and Michigan's history too. Reflecting on our past will help us continue combatting racism, striving toward racial equality, and fostering an environment of freedom, opportunity, and inclusiveness for all. During Black History Month, let’s reflect on that shared history, honor the strength and perseverance of those who came before us, and recommit ourselves to building a Michigan that’s more free and fair for everyone.

For decades, Michigan has consistently stood for progress, from the leadership and courage of civil rights activists to the labor strikes led by Black workers in Detroit. This proud legacy continues today through Black Michiganders at the forefront of our state’s leadership, including Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, the first Black woman to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court, and Senator Sarah Anthony, the first Black woman to be Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Our work, however, isn’t finished. We must continue getting things done to create more opportunity for every Michigander. As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s keep showing up for each other and pushing for progress.

Sincerely,

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Gretchen Whitmer

Governor 

Celebrating Black History Month Across Michigan

Throughout Black History Month, communities across Michigan offer a wide range of opportunities to celebrate Black history. From the world class Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit to performances and programs at colleges and universities that highlight the impact of Black culture and history, there’s so much to discover.

Here are just a few ways to get involved this month:


* Visit the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History [ [link removed] ] in Detroit and register for special performances and community events there throughout the month of February.
* Explore Black History exhibitions at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) [ [link removed] ] with music, film screenings, spoken word, art-making activities, and guided tours focused on Black artists and stories.
* Check out Detroit Book City’s 10th Annual African American Family Book Expo & Read-In [ [link removed] ] and meet over 40 Independent Black Authors to help empower and preserve literacy.
* Attend film screenings and panel discussions at the University of Michigan [ [link removed] ], Wayne State University [ [link removed] ], and University of Detroit Mercy [ [link removed] ], focused on the contributions of Black Americans to art, science, and politics.
* Join community dialogues and events organized by schools, churches, and civic organizations.

Building Inclusive Leadership — Apply for a Board or Commission

Since the beginning, it has been a priority for Lt. Governor Gilchrist and I to amplify Black voices to instill lasting change.

In 2020, I created the Black Leadership Advisory Council (BLAC) [ [link removed] ] to identify barriers within the Black community regarding education, community safety, health, and business leadership. Throughout the past six years, BLAC has served as an instrumental tool to close racial equity gaps and enact policies to build a more inclusive Michigan, including the CROWN Act I signed to ban hair discrimination.

I am committed to building a state government that represents Michigan. That applies to the 240+ boards and commissions that serve the state.  As governor, I have appointed more than 500 Black Michiganders to boards, commissions, and full-time positions, and more than 30 of my judicial appointees, nearly one-third, are Black.

I encourage all Michiganders to bring their talent and perspective to state government and apply for an appointment to a statewide board or commission. If you are interested in making your voice heard by contributing to a state board or commission, review our current Appointments Openings [ [link removed] ] and apply at www.michigan.gov/appointments [ [link removed] ].

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Delivering for Black Michiganders 

Since day one, Lt. Governor Gilchrist and I have been focused on delivering for the Black community by getting things done on the issues that make a real difference in people’s lives. Here are some of those things we’ve gotten done:


* Signed legislation to make Juneteenth a state holiday, ban hair discrimination, and recognize May 2 as Negro Leagues Day in Michigan.
* Set and exceeded a diversity goal for state contracting dollars and awarded millions in grants to firms owned and operated by entrepreneurs of color.
* Quintupled the Michigan Working Families Tax Credit to give over 600,000 working families a combined $3,800 refund.
* Delivered free breakfast and lunch to all of Michigan’s 1.4 million public school students, saving parents almost $1000 a year per student.
* Expanded access to free pre-K to every four-year old and affordable child care for 150,000 more children.
* Consistently invested in Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies, an initiative to address disproportionate racial impacts of maternal and infant mortality and support moms and babies.
* Declared racism a public health crisis and required all medical professionals to undergo implicit bias training to improve healthcare.







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