The Struggle
and the Opportunity
While much progress has been made since
Dr. Woodson began celebrating Black History Month in 1926, more work and education are needed to combat the continued marginalization, oppression and racism that Black Americans still face. Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis and countless others fought tirelessly for basic human, civil and equal rights. The work of the Black Lives Matter movement – and that of many others in our local communities – carry on their legacies. Black History Month is a good starting point to learn more and open a larger conversation about the ongoing fight for equality and how you can help.
Black History Is American History
Dr. Woodson chose February to recognize Black history because the Black community had traditionally celebrated the February birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, each of whom had significantly impacted Black history. According to a Texas A&M Today report, Dr. Woodson thought Black history had been ignored in U.S. educational curricula, so he wanted Negro History Week – and later, Black History Month – to celebrate the achievements of Black Americans and recognize them as pioneers who’ve helped build our nation and our democracy from the ground up since 1619, when the first enslaved people were brought to America.
African Americans and the Arts
Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) selects a Black History Month theme. The 2024 theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” honors the vast Black, African American, African and Caribbean influence in visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, language, film, music, architecture and other forms of cultural expression. African American artists have historically served as change agents through their crafts, having long used art to not only preserve history and reflect their culture, but also as a platform for social justice. They have led artistic and cultural movements that have helped empower the Black community and inspire action in the U.S. and around the world. As artist, actor, athlete, lawyer and activist Paul Robeson once noted, “Artists are the gatekeepers for truth. We are civilization’s radical voice.”
What Everyone Should Know About
Here’s why we recognize
Black History Month and
what you should know about it.
A Worldwide Celebration
Black History Month may have started in the United States, but it is now officially celebrated in several other countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany. Canada, which began recognizing the month in 1995, also celebrates Black History Month in February; while the UK, the Netherlands and Ireland recognize Black history in October. In the UK, Black History Month was first officially celebrated in October 1987. Ireland began celebrating the month in 2010. In Germany, the observance varies from year to year and often only lasts a few days or a week instead of a month.
Early Beginnings
Black History Month dates back to 1915, when Harvard-educated scholar and historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson, known as the “Father of Black History,” created the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History – now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) – to promote the scientific study of Black life and history.
On February 7, 1926, he introduced the first “Negro History Week.” According to Texas A&M Today, his goal was not to celebrate individual historical figures, but instead to highlight the entire Black American community, which has helped shape and advance the nation’s history from the beginning.
Recognizing Black History
In 1969, leaders of Kent State University's Black United Students proposed a month-long celebration, which took place one year later in February 1970. In 1976, this observance was renamed Black History Month. That year, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month and called on the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Every U.S. president since has recognized February as Black History Month.
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