February brings us Black History Month, a time to speak up about amazing Black men and women who helped shape our nation. But finding the right speech topic can be hard! As you think about what to say, you might feel stuck or unsure where to start. I know how it feels to want your words to really matter. That’s why I put together this list of 25 speech ideas that will help you shine a light on Black history in ways that will touch hearts and open minds.
Your words have power. The right speech can teach others and bring people together. So let’s look at these ideas that will help you create a talk that is both meaningful and moving.
Black History Month Speech Ideas
Here are 25 wonderful ideas for your Black History Month speech. Each one can be shaped to fit your own voice and style.
1. Hidden Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement
Many people know about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but what about the others who marched beside him? Talk about people like Bayard Rustin who planned the March on Washington but stayed out of the spotlight because he was gay.
These hidden heroes show us that big changes happen when many brave people work together, not just when one famous person leads the way. Your speech can help others see the full picture of how rights were won.
2. Black Women Who Changed Science
Did you know that a Black woman named Katherine Johnson helped NASA send people to the moon? Or that Dr. Patricia Bath invented a new way to treat eye problems that has helped many people see better?
Black women in science had to push past both racism and sexism to make their marks. A speech about these smart ladies can show kids that they too can be great scientists no matter what others say about them.
3. The Story of Black Music in America
From slave songs to hip hop, Black music tells the story of joy and pain in America. Talk about how music helped people stay strong during hard times and how it brought people together.
You could play short clips of songs from different times to show how Black music changed but always kept its soul. This topic lets you mix facts with the feeling that only music can bring.
4. Young Black Heroes for Kids to Look Up To
Kids need to see people who look like them doing great things. Talk about young Black heroes like Ruby Bridges who went to an all-white school when she was just six years old, or Claudette Colvin who refused to give up her bus seat months before Rosa Parks.
This kind of speech can light a fire in young hearts. It tells them they don’t have to wait to grow up to stand tall for what’s right.
5. Black Inventors Who Made Life Better
Did you know the traffic light was made better by a Black man named Garrett Morgan? Or that the home security system was created by a Black nurse named Marie Van Brittan Brown?
In your speech, you can show how many things we use every day came from the minds of Black creators. This helps people see how Black thinkers have been making all our lives better for years.
6. The Harlem Renaissance: Art That Changed Minds
The Harlem Renaissance was a time when Black writers, artists, and musicians showed the world the beauty and pain of Black life. People like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston told stories that still touch us today.
This speech topic lets you show how art can fight for freedom just as well as protests. You can share poems and pictures that opened eyes and hearts.
7. Black Athletes Who Broke Barriers
Sports stars like Jackie Robinson and Wilma Rudolph didn’t just win games and races. They broke down walls of hate by being so good at what they did that no one could deny their skill.
A speech about these brave athletes shows how sports can change how people think. It’s not just about who won, but about how they changed the rules of the game for everyone who came after them.
8. The Black Press: Telling Our Own Stories
For many years, Black newspapers were the only places telling the real stories of Black communities. Papers like The Chicago Defender helped people learn the truth when other news left Black voices out.
Your speech could show how these papers gave hope and helped plan for better days. This topic shows the power of making sure your voice is heard, even when others try to keep you quiet.
9. The Growth of Black Colleges
Black colleges have been teaching and lifting up students for over 150 years. Schools like Howard University and Spelman College helped create Black doctors, teachers, and leaders when other schools shut their doors.
This speech topic can show the pride and power of these schools. You can talk about famous grads and how these colleges still help students grow strong in both mind and spirit.
10. Black Doctors Who Saved Lives
Black doctors like Dr. Charles Drew, who found better ways to save blood for people who needed it, have saved many lives. But they often had to fight just to be allowed to help others.
A speech on this topic can show how these healers pushed past hate to help all people. It shows that care for others can be stronger than the walls that try to keep people apart.
11. The Black Church and Freedom
Black churches have been centers for both faith and freedom. They were safe places to meet, plan, and find hope during the darkest days of slavery and racism.
This topic lets you talk about how faith and action worked hand in hand. You can share stories of brave pastors and church members who put their lives on the line for a better world.
12. Black Poets Who Spoke Truth
From Phillis Wheatley in the 1700s to Amanda Gorman at President Biden’s first day in office, Black poets have used words to paint pictures of pain and hope. Their poems help us feel what others have lived through.
In your speech, you can read short parts of poems that show how words can be as strong as swords. This topic shows how art can fight for truth and touch hearts across time.
13. Black Families: Strength Through Storm
Black families stayed strong through slavery, Jim Crow laws, and all kinds of hard times. They found ways to love and care for each other even when the world tried to pull them apart.
A speech on this topic can show the special ways Black families kept their ties strong. You can talk about how grandmothers, aunts, and neighbors all helped raise children with pride in who they are.
14. Black Joy as Acts of Freedom
Being happy and full of life when the world says you should be sad is a kind of freedom fighting. Black joy, from music to dance to family cook-outs, has always been a way to say “we are still here.”
This speech topic lets you show how smiles and laughter can be as bold as signs and marches. It’s a chance to talk about the full lives of Black people, not just their pain.
15. Black Heroes in the Military
From the Buffalo Soldiers to the Tuskegee Airmen, Black service members have fought for a country that often didn’t fight for them. They showed great bravery both on the field and in standing up for fair treatment.
This topic lets you share stories of heroes in uniform who served with honor. You can show how their service helped push the military, and the nation, toward treating all people the same.
16. Black Business Leaders Who Built Wealth
People like Madam C.J. Walker, who made hair care products, became some of America’s first self-made women to earn millions of dollars. They built businesses that helped their communities grow stronger.
A speech about these business leaders can show how they used money to help others climb up too. It shows that success is sweetest when it lifts up the whole community.
17. The Power of Black Theater
Plays by writers like August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry have shown the world both the pain and joy of Black life. These plays let us step into someone else’s shoes for a little while.
This speech topic lets you share how seeing these stories on stage helps people understand each other better. You can talk about how feeling a story can change hearts in ways that just hearing facts cannot.
18. Black Leaders in Space and Flight
From Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space, to the Black pilots who trained white airmen in World War II, Black Americans have soared above the clouds and the stars.
A speech on this topic can lift eyes and hearts upward. It shows that Black dreams and skills can take us to places we’ve never been before.
19. The Story of Black Dance
From the ring shout of enslaved people to the smooth moves of Alvin Ailey’s dancers, Black dance tells stories without words. It keeps old ways alive while making new ones too.
This speech topic lets you show how bodies in motion can speak just as clearly as words. You might even teach your listeners a simple step or two to help them feel the beat!
20. Black Voices in Children’s Books
Writers like Jacqueline Woodson and Christopher Paul Curtis create stories that help all children see themselves and others. Their books show Black children as heroes of their own tales.
A speech about these books and writers can show why it matters for children to see faces like theirs in the stories they read. You might read a short part from a favorite book to share its power.
21. Black Leaders in Your Own Town
Every town and city has its own Black history makers. The pastor who helped calm things down during hard times. The teacher who pushed students to be their best. The store owner who gave food to hungry kids.
This speech topic lets you bring big ideas home to your own streets. It shows that history isn’t just made by famous people far away, but by good people right where you live.
22. The Fight for Black Voting Rights
The right to vote came at a high cost for Black Americans. From the end of the Civil War to today, Black voters have had to push past laws and threats meant to keep them from having a say.
A speech on this topic can show why voting matters so much. It’s a chance to talk about how a piece of paper—a ballot—can be as strong as any weapon in the fight for fair treatment.
23. Black Judges and Lawyers Who Fought for Justice
People like Thurgood Marshall, who won the Brown v. Board of Education case and later became a Supreme Court judge, used the law to change the nation. They fought with words and rules instead of fists.
This speech topic lets you talk about how laws can hurt or help. It shows that sometimes the best way to change a system is from the inside.
24. The Beauty and Power of Black Hair
Black hair has been both a target of hate and a sign of pride. From laws against certain hairstyles to the “Black is Beautiful” movement, hair has been part of the fight for Black self-love.
A speech on this topic can show how something as simple as how you wear your hair can be a statement about who you are. It’s a chance to talk about how loving yourself just as you are can change the world.
25. Looking Forward: Black Leaders of Today
While Black History Month looks back, it’s also good to look at who is making history right now. Young Black leaders in science, the arts, sports, and politics are changing our world as we speak.
This speech topic lets you connect past struggles to today’s wins. It shows that Black history isn’t just about long ago, but is being made fresh each day by new dreamers and doers.
Wrapping Up
Your Black History Month speech has the power to teach, to heal, and to bring people together. By sharing these stories, you help keep alive the memories of those who fought so hard for a better world. You also help others see how far we’ve come, and how far we still need to go.
So pick a topic that lights a fire in your heart, and let your words flow from that passion. The best speeches come from speakers who truly care about what they’re saying. With the right topic and your own true voice, you’ll create a Black History Month speech that will stay with your listeners long after February ends.