This month marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month and Michigan is celebrating the occasion.

The month recognizing Black Americans stems from the efforts of pioneering intellectual Carter G. Woodson, who initiated Negro History Week in February 1926, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist recognized the month in a Feb. 2 proclamation, encouraging Michiganders to uplift Black American history during this time.

“African Americans have made significant cultural, historical, and economic contributions to the development of America and the American way of life,” the proclamation stated.

Here’s what to know Black History Month in Michigan.

Is Michigan observing Black History Month?

Yes, Michigan recognizes Black History Month, according to the proclamation by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.

“The state of Michigan also recognizes the strength, endurance, and faith of African American ancestors in their struggle for freedom, and pays tribute to their continuous pursuit of overcoming injustices,” the proclamation stated.

The Michigan House on Feb. 4 also adopted a resolution recognizing Black History Month.

What did President Trump say about Black History Month?

President Donald Trump on Feb. 3 issued a proclamation in the first year of his second term to honor “countless black American heroes.” He wrote that “‘black history’ is not distinct from American history — rather, the history of black Americans is an indispensable chapter in our grand American story.”

When is Black History Month in 2026?

Black History Month is February 2026.

When did Black History Month get started?

The origins of Black History Month lie in Negro History Week, founded in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a prominent Black American intellectual, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

“Woodson chose February for reasons of tradition and reform. It is commonly said that Woodson selected February to encompass the birthdays of two great Americans who played a prominent role in shaping black history, namely Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, whose birthdays are the 12th and the 14th, respectively,” the association’s website says.

Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.

A former school bus driver is suing Mattawan Consolidated Schools, alleging wrongful termination after offering bags of candy to students, some of which contained “brief Christian messages.”

The federal lawsuit, filed in December 2025, claims that Sarah Robinson was told in April 2025 that she could resign or be fired after she handed out the bags on different holidays, including Halloween, Christmas, Easter and Good Friday. According to the lawsuit, students were not required to take bags, and Robinson offered bags that accommodated other religions or did not include religious messages.

CBS News Detroit contacted the district and Superintendent Randall Fleenor for comment and is waiting to hear back.

According to the lawsuit, the bags were distributed during the 2024-2025 school year. The lawsuit claims that a supervisor told Robinson in November 2024 that she could continue handing them out as long as they were optional. However, the district allegedly reversed that policy a few months later and instructed Robinson not to reference Jesus.

The lawsuit claims that footage from the bus showed Robinson never forced the students to take a candy bag and that some parents thanked her. The lawsuit alleges the district did not review the footage before terminating Robinson. 

The lawsuit claims that Robinson offered not to distribute bags if she could keep her job, but was denied by the district. The lawsuit claims that the district listed Robinson’s termination as “misconduct” to the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, but it was reversed in an appeal.

The lawsuit also claims that “Other employees distributed holiday items or shared other materials without discipline.”

The lawsuit claims that Robinson was the only employee “disciplined and terminated for religious expression.” The lawsuit also alleges that Robinson was investigated by the district and “treated as if she had committed intentional wrongdoing.”

The lawsuit is demanding back pay from the time Robinson was fired, as well as front pay if her reinstatement is not an option.

The conservative group AFP Action says it’s putting $500,000 behind its first ad in Michigan this year, boosting the campaign of Republican Mike Rogers, who is running for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat.

The spot will run as 30- and 15-second commercials on connected TV and digital platforms, according to AFP Action. The ad promotes Rogers in a positive light as a “statesman, not a politician” who rises above partisan divisions and will work to lower inflation and taxes ― likely in an effort to help Rogers’ name identification and standing among more centrist voters across the state.

“A strong, serious leader, Mike Rogers will go to Washington to get things done,” the narrator says.

The ad buy is among the first major investments in the Michigan U.S. Senate race by an outside group. AFP Action is affiliated with Americans for Prosperity, which is part of the billionaire Koch brothers’ political network that has spent millions bankrolling mostly Republican candidates and causes over the years.