Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA

Honoring Black History Month at the Tampa YMCA and in Our Community

blk History
Share
February 20, 2026

February is Black History Month, a time to reflect, learn and celebrate the profound contributions Black leaders, visionaries and changemakers have made to our communities and to the YMCA movement itself. The 2026 Black History Month theme is “A Century of Black History Commemorations,” and marks 100 years of national efforts!

At the Tampa YMCA, we encourage everyone to engage with the rich history and culture being celebrated through meaningful opportunities and community events. These efforts are offered in partnership with our YMCA African American Resource Network (AARN), the Spurlino Family YMCA and local businesses as we honor the past and reaffirm our commitment to equity, inclusion, and the well-being of every individual we serve.

Tampa YMCA and local events include:

The YMCA’s history is deeply intertwined with the leadership and perseverance of Black trailblazers who expanded access, opportunity and representation within the YMCA network, their community and beyond.

One of the most influential Black leaders was Anthony Bowen, a former enslaved man who founded the first YMCA for African Americans in Washington, D.C., in 1853. Bowen’s leadership laid the foundation for Black YMCAs across the country, creating safe spaces for education, physical wellness and community empowerment during a time of segregation.

In 1915, at the Wabash Avenue YMCA, Carter Woodson organized the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, which researched and celebrated the achievements of Black Americans.  This led him to start Negro History Week, the precursor to Black History Month.

An entrepreneur, philanthropist and social activist, Madam C.J. Walker was one of the first self-made female American millionaires. She escaped poverty by selling hair care products, which also gave her sales agents an income of their own. Walker was a philanthropic supporter of the YMCA and participated in and financially supported the NAACP's anti-lynching movement.

After holding various executive leadership roles in the Newark and Chicago YMCAs, in 1976, Violet P. Henry became the first woman to be named to a top management position at the Ys' national office. She provided leadership for numerous national and international commissions and committees that worked for the rights of women and people of color.

Black History

Most recently, in 2015, Kevin Washington became the first African American and the first person of color to serve as CEO of the YMCA of the USA. Besides reimagining service delivery across the Y movement, Washington was a leading national voice for federal relief from the federal government for nonprofits devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. He spearheaded the highly successful #Relief4Charities effort, put Y-USA on a path to become an anti-racist, multicultural organization and engaged young people as changemakers in their communities.

At the Tampa YMCA and in the YMCA movement, honoring Black history means more than reflecting on the past; it means continuing the work. We remain committed to advancing belonging, expanding access to programs and resources and creating welcoming spaces where all people can live their healthiest and most fulfilled lives.

Together, we move forward, grounded in history and driven by hope. To learn more about the Tampa YMCA and how you can get involved, click here.