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Black History Month Word Search

Find 15 names from Black history hidden in the grid

Fifteen surnames from Black history in one grid, from Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman to Katherine Johnson and Shirley Chisholm. Black History Month grew out of Negro History Week, which the historian Carter G. Woodson launched in February 1926; it became a month in 1976. Every name here is checked against two sources.

Free printable PDF with a full answer key, sized for US Letter and free for classroom use. Want your own title or words? Open it in the word search editor with everything already filled in.

Word SearchPreview

Black History Month Word Search

Find 15 names from Black history hidden in the grid

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Word List

  • DOUGLASS
  • MARSHALL
  • ROBINSON
  • CHISHOLM
  • ANGELOU
  • BETHUNE
  • WOODSON
  • JOHNSON
  • TUBMAN
  • CARVER
  • HUGHES
  • TRUTH
  • PARKS
  • OWENS
  • WELLS
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What is a Word Search?

A word search hides a list of words in a grid of letters. Words can run horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Your job is to find and circle each one.

How to solve it

Scan rows and columns for the first letter of each word, then trace in all eight directions. Check off words as you find them.

Who is this for?

Word searches are perfect for all ages, from young students building vocabulary to adults who enjoy a relaxing mental exercise. Teachers use them for vocabulary preview activities, early finishers, and classroom brain breaks.

About this puzzle

Free printable Black History Month word search: find 15 names from Douglass and Tubman to Katherine Johnson. Medium level with answer key. Instant PDF.

  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Format: US Letter PDF with answer key
  • Free to download, print, and use
  • Commercial use allowed for KDP publishers

Step-by-step: solving the Black History Month Word Search

  1. Print the PDF. Download the free PDF and print both pages (the puzzle and the answer key) on standard US Letter paper.
  2. Scan for first letters. Read down the word list, then look across rows and columns of the grid for the first letter of each word.
  3. Trace in any direction. Depending on the level, words run across, down, diagonally and, on hard puzzles, backward. Once you spot a starting letter, check every direction the level allows.
  4. Check off found words. Cross each found word off the list. When the list is empty, compare with the answer key to verify.

Frequently asked questions

Who is in this word search?›
Douglass, Tubman, Truth, Parks, Angelou, Carver, Owens, Hughes, Bethune, Woodson, Marshall, Robinson, Chisholm, Johnson and Wells, by surname.
How did Black History Month start?›
Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week in February 1926, ten years after founding the association that became ASALH. It was expanded to a full month in 1976.
Is there a Black History Month puzzle pack?›
The Black History Month Puzzle Pack adds a crossword, a cryptogram of documented quotations, a word scramble, a fill-in and a bigger word search with thirty more names and terms.
Can words go diagonally or backward?›
It depends on the level. Easy word searches hide words across and down, medium ones add diagonals, and hard ones can also run backward and upward. The difficulty is shown at the top of this page.
Is there an answer key?›
Yes. Every free PuzzlePage word search PDF includes a separate answer-key page that highlights or lists every hidden word.
What grade level is this for?›
Easy word searches suit kindergarten through grade 2, medium ones grades 3 to 8, and hard ones older students and adults. Teachers use them for vocabulary previews, early finishers and sub days. The page above names the grades this one was written for.
Can I customize this puzzle?›
Yes. Open it in the free Word Search editor with the words already filled in, then change the title, edit or add words and pick a difficulty. Downloads are free with your email, and Premium removes the PuzzlePage credit.

More free Heritage Months puzzles

Black History Month in February and Women's History Month in March, name by name.

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