February is a month filled with festive celebrations such as Groundhog Day, Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day or more obscure days such as Inventors Day or Change your Password Day. But many also know that this month is officially recognized as Black History Month in the United States and Canada as a way to honor the achievements and contributions Black Americans have made in U.S. history, as well as acknowledge others who contributed to movements in history that led to changes in equality among Black Americans.
Though many are aware of this celebration and various influential figures, the actual history of Black History Month seems to be overshadowed. So how did it start?
Black History Month was expanded upon from the original Negro History Week, so to understand Black History Month, it is crucial to first understand Negro History Week. It all starts with Carter G. Woodson, an American historian who popularized the field of African and African American History in schools and colleges across the U.S. — even being the second African American to earn a PhD at Harvard University.
Woodson believed that historians overlooked and suppressed Black history at the time, so to preserve African American history, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, in Sept 9, 1915 which today, is called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Following this in 1926, Woodson created Negro History Week, which was made in February to correspond with the birthdays of President Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, who both played enormous roles in their contributions to changing U.S. history for Black Americans.
In 1986, President of the U.S. Gerald Ford brought more attention to the week through his “Message on the Observance of Black History Week” during the growth of the civil rights movement, where he said to emphasize the achievements of Black Americans. Soon, future presidents followed suit by sending messages to honor Black History Month.
In 1986, Congress passed Public Law 99-244, which marked the beginning of Black History Month, moving President Ronald Reagan to give a statement ordering that Black History Month have ceremonies and activities appropriate to the month. After 1986, Congress has regularly passed resolutions honoring the month, the most recent being House Resolution 140 in 2021. Furthermore, since 1996 every U. S. president has given proclamations in honor of Black History Month, spurring the continued recognition of the contributions made by Black Americans to the nation and highlighting the importance of Black history and culture.
