February is known as Black History Month. Black History Month started as Negro History Week by Carter G. Woodson in 1826. Dr. Woodson was concerned that the contributions of Black Americans were overlooked or misrepresented and began l ing for Negro History Week.

Negro History Week was first celebrated in 1926. The second week in February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14). Frederick was an escaped slave who became an abolitionist and civil rights leader. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery in America’s Confederate States. In the 1960’s, thanks in part to the Civil Rights Movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, Negro History Week became Black History Month.

President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976. Since the first Negro History Week in 1926, other countries have joined the United States in celebrating Black people and their contribution to history and culture, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.

Black History Month continues the discussion of Black people and their contributions through activities such as museum exhibits, film screening, programs, luncheons, and by encouraging the celebration of achievements of African Americans year-round.

This year’s theme – “A Century of Black History Commendations” – marks the 100th anniversary of the national observance started by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926, focusing on the role that Black History has played in the lives of so many people. The theme invites reflection on how these observances have transformed Black life, inspired progress, and preserved truth efforts to erase Black history. Dr. Woodson’s vision was to ensure African American history, often ignored, was recognized for its significant contributions.

Black History IS American History.