This year’s Black History Month that just ended followed one of the more tumultuous years of race relations since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. As this country moves forward, it is important to understand how and why this month-long observance and celebration is needed and came to be.
Since 1976, Black/African American History Month has become a four-week annual celebration in February to acknowledge the African Americans in U.S history. This celebration led to a great number of things in American history. It empowered the community, inspiring them to create the Black Panthers, the Civil Rights movement, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Carter G. Woodson, known as the Father and one of the founders of Black History Month, started in Chicago. He was commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation. Thousands of people all over the world came to this event; exhibits showed their progress after slavery was abolished. Inspired by this, he decided to promote the study of the history and lives of black people. It is now named the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
It was once celebrated in the middle of February of 1925, coinciding with Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’s birthdays. After a year, the week was finally recognized. Its influence became a big hit. In schools, students created black history clubs and teachers encouraged them to educate others on the event. They provided study materials such as lessons for teachers, acted performances of historical plays, and showcased posters and photos of important people. Woodson urged this week to be year-round; he wanted black history to be taught daily. The black community made an effort to include black history in textbooks and curriculums by the 1940s.
During the 1960s, the civil rights movement brought awareness to African American History Week. Fifty years after the first celebration, it had been extended to the whole month of February. President Gerald R. Ford encouraged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Black history became exceedingly recognized by this time. Since then, other presidents had made Black History Month proclamations. Similar to former President Ford, President Reagan invites citizens to “observe this month with appropriate activities to heighten awareness of black history and to stimulate continuing inquiry into this rich vein of the American experience.”
The ASALH continues to promote black history throughout the year. Other countries also celebrate black history months such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
