Carter G. Woodson, who founded the Association for the Study of African American History, first came up with the idea for what became Black History Month.
WASHINGTON — Black History Month is considered one of the nation’s oldest organized history celebrations, and has been recognized byU.S. presidents for decades through proclamations and celebrations. Here is some information about the history of Black History Month.
How did Black History Month start?
It wasCarter G. Woodson, a founder of the Association for the Study of African American History, who first came up with the idea of the celebration that became Black History Month. Woodson, the son of recently freed Virginia slaves, who went on to earn a Ph.D in history from Harvard, originally came up with the idea of Negro History Week to encourage Black Americans to become more interested in their own history and heritage. Woodson worried that Black children were not being taught about their ancestors’ achievements in American schools in the early 1900s.
“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 said.
Why is Black History Month in February?
Woodson chose February for Negro History Week because it had the birthdays ofPresident Abraham Lincoln andFrederick Douglass. Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, and Douglass, a former slave who did not know his exact birthday, celebrated his on Feb. 14.
Daryl Michael Scott, a Howard University history professor and former ASAAH president, said Woodson chose that week because Black Americans were already celebrating Lincoln’s and Douglass’s birthdays. With the help of Black newspapers, he promoted that week as a time to focus on African-American history as part of the celebrations that were already ongoing.
The first Negro History Week was announced in February 1926.
“This was a community effort spearheaded by Woodson that built on tradition, and built on Black institutional life and structures to create a new celebration that was a week long, and it took off like a rocket,” Scott said.
Why the change from a week to a month?
Negro History Week was wildly successful, but Woodson felt it needed more.
Woodson’s original idea for Negro History Week was for it to be a time for student showcases of the African-American history they learned the rest of the year, not as the only week Black history would be discussed, Scott said. Woodson later advocated starting a Negro History Year, saying that during a school year “a subject that receives attention one week out of 36 will not mean much to anyone.”
Individually several places, including West Virginia in the 1940s and Chicago in the 1960s, expanded the celebration into Negro History Month. The civil rights and Black Power movement advocated for an official shift from Black History Week to Black History Month, Scott said, and, in 1976, on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of Negro History Week, the Association for the Study of African American History made the shift to Black History Month.
Presidential recognition
Every president since Gerald R. Ford through Joe Biden has issued a statement honoring the spirit of Black History Month.
Ford first honored Black History Week in 1975, calling the recognition “most appropriate,” as the country developed “a healthy awareness on the part of all of us of achievements that have too long been obscured and unsung.” The next year, in 1976, Ford issued the first Black History Month commemoration, saying with the celebration “we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Credit: AP
Wreaths from the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Wreath Laying Ceremony are pictured at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, Jan. 15, 2024.
President Jimmy Carter added in 1978 that the celebration “provides for all Americans a chance to rejoice and express pride in a heritage that adds so much to our way of life.” President Ronald Reagan said in 1981 that “understanding the history of Black Americans is a key to understanding the strength of our nation.”
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Editor's note: This article by former AP reporter Jesse J. Holland was originally published on Feb. 2, 2017.
FAQs
Why is Black History Month in February? February was chosen by Woodson for the week-long observance as it coincides with the birthdates of both former US President Abraham Lincoln and social reformer Frederick Douglass. Both men played a significant role in helping to end slavery.
Why is Black History Month celebrated in February? ›
Woodson chose February for reasons of tradition and reform. It is commonly said that Woodson selected February to encompass the birthdays of two great Americans who played a prominent role in shaping black history, namely Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, whose birthdays are the 12th and the 14th, respectively.
What is the origin of black history? ›
National Black History Month has its origins in 1915, when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. This organization is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
What happened on February 1st in black history? ›
February 1, 1865 U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The Thirteenth Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States. February 1 is known as National Freedom Day in its honor. February 3, 1870 The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified.
What is a black history fact for February 24th? ›
Payne was born on February 24, 1811, in Charleston, South Carolina, the son of free blacks. First Black Woman to receive an M.D. 2/24/1864: Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes the first black woman to receive an M.D. degree.
What history month is February? ›
Each February, National Black History Month serves as both a celebration and a powerful reminder that Black history is American history, Black culture is American culture, and Black stories are essential to the ongoing story of America — our faults, our struggles, our progress, and our aspirations.
What is Black History Month and why does it matter? ›
Black History Month is an annual celebration of African-American history and contributions in the formation of the modern US. February is celebrated as Black History Month (BHM), which highlights African-American history and the contributions of Black people in the United States.
What does black mean in history? ›
It can be linked with death, mourning, evil magic, and darkness, but it can also symbolize elegance, wealth, restraint, and power. As the first pigment used by artists in prehistory and the first ink used by book printers, black played an important role in the development of art and literature.
Why do we celebrate Black History Month for kids? ›
Discussing Black people's achievements within their fight for justice and equity encourages empathy and understanding — and teaches children how to connect their personal experiences with the experiences of others.
What is the origin of the black culture? ›
West Central and Central Africans brought with them a hom*ogenous culture that superseded West African culture early on in establishing African-American culture, at a later point in history, West African influence displays itself in African-American culture.
February 5, 1917 - The new constitution of Mexico, allowing for sweeping social changes, was adopted. February 6, 1788 - Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the new U.S. Constitution, by a vote of 187 to 168. February 6, 1933 - The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted.
What happened on February 1st? ›
February 1st holds significance because that was the date Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery in 1865. On June 30, 1948, President Harry Truman signed a bill proclaiming February 1st as the first official National Freedom Day in the United States.
Is Feb Black History? ›
February Is Black History Month in the US.
What is a fact about Black History Month February 7th? ›
On Feb. 7, 1926, Carter G. Woodson initiated the first celebration of Negro History Week which led to Black History Month, to extend and deepen the study and scholarship on African American history, all year long.
What happened on February 25th in black history? ›
On this day in 1948, Martin Luther King was ordained as a Baptist minister. On this day in 1964, 22-year-old underdog Cassius Clay, the future Muhammad Ali, defeated champion Sonny Liston by technical knockout to win the world heavyweight boxing crown in Miami Florida. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc.
Why is Black History Month the shortest month? ›
Historians say there's a simple answer: Black History Month ― which began in 1926 as Negro History Week ― is in February because it coincides with the birthdays of two important figures in the abolitionist movement: President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
When did Black History Month become an officially recognized month? ›
Black History Month (also known as African American History Month and Celebration of the African Diaspora) began as Negro History Week in February of 1926. Fifty years later, President Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976 as a month-long national observance occurring in February.
Why is there a different theme for Black History Month each year and what is the theme for 2024? ›
Every year, Black History Month is assigned a national theme for reflection and inspiration. The 2024 Black History Month theme is “African Americans and the Arts.” This theme pays homage to Black art as not only a hallmark of American culture, but also a tool for resistance, peacemaking, justice, and equality.
What happened on February 4th in black history? ›
– In 1913 on this day Rosa Parks was born. – In 1969 on this day the MLPA began its armed struggle in Angola. – In 1986 on this day the USPS issued a Sojourner Truth stamp.
