Origins of Black History Month: How it began, who started it and why it's in February
Why do we celebrate Black History Month in February? How and when did Black History Month begin, and who started it?
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What are the origins of Black History Month?
Who started it? Why did they choose February? How long has Black History Month been recognized?
Most people and schools honor Black History Month each February -- but do you know the history of Black History Month itself?
How did Black History Month start?
The origins of Black History Month date back to February 1926 when Carter G. Woodson came up with the idea of Negro History Week.
Woodson, whose parents had been freed from slavery in Virginia, feared Black children were not being taught about their ancestors' lives, struggles and achievements in schools. Amid the Jim Crow Era of racial segregation, there history of the Black community was being actively repressed, especially in southern states.
Woodson earned a Ph.D. in history from Harvard and founded the Association for the Study of African American History.
For the next 50 years, Negro History Week grew in popularity and scope, expanding through pre-existing foundations and infrastructure in the Black community. It also helped inspire and bolster other programs and initiatives designed to spread awareness of Black history and achievements of Black men and women.
What year did Black History Month officially begin?
In 1976, decades after the advent of Negro History Week, the week expanded into what was then called 'Afro-American History Month.'
In the 1970s, schools around the United States began adopting Black History Month into their curriculum – helping fight the repression of Black history.
Born to formerly enslaved parents and growing up in the Jim Crow Era, Woodson knew the value of education – and how segregation kept Black children from having equal access. He spent his life advocating for excellence in education for Black students, and for him, Black History Month was just one thread in a much broader goal.
Why do we celebrate Black History Month in February?
Woodson chose February for celebrating Black History because both Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass celebrated their birthdays in February.
Lincoln's birthday is Feb. 12, and Douglass, who was born enslaved and did not know his actual birthday, celebrated it on Feb. 14.
Because of the connection with Lincoln, the U.S. President who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and Douglass, a prominent Civil Rights leader and abolitionist, the African American community already celebrated in the second week of February – making it an ideal time to encourage a focus on Black history.
Black history was being actively repressed
In the aftermath of the Civil War, the teaching of the history and accomplishments of Black men and women was being actively repressed, especially in the South.
Woodson devoted his life to ensuring those stories wouldn't be forgotten or erased.
“If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated,” Woodson wrote.
It wasn't until 1951 when California became the first state to mandate Black history in public schools.
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