February is known as Black History Month in the U.S. Black History Month is a time to reflect on the achievements of Black people from all over the world and celebrate those making a positive impact on the Black community. But how did this month of recognition come to be? If you’ve ever wondered how Black History Month started, I’m here to tell you all about it.
Black History Month started as “Negro History Week” back in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson. Woodson, known as “The Father of Black History,” was a writer and historian most famously known for writing the book The Mis-Education of the Negro. Woodson became the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University, following W.E.B Dubois. Woodson made African American studies his life’s work. In 1915, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (later the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) which concentrated on highlighting the contributions of African Americans to the rest of society.
Woodson solicited the help of schools and organizations to be a part of a program to promote African American studies. This program began in 1926 and was known as “Negro History Week.” The program was later expanded to a full month of celebration in 1976. Woodson chose February to honor the birth months of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and former President Abraham Lincoln. So this February, as we celebrate Black heroes and innovators, let us look back and appreciate those figures who have paved the way for us to celebrate Black History.
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