Black History Month
- Mafalda Oliveira
- Feb 2, 2021
- 2 min read
Every February, we celebrate a special holiday. And no, I'm not talking about Valentine´s Day. I'm referring to the 28 (or 29) meaningful days dedicated to honoring Black History.
This month focuses its attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today.
But, how did Black History Month begin?
Well, it was created in February 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, known as the "father of Black history."
This historian helped establish the field of African American studies and his organization, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), aimed to encourage "people of all ethnic and social backgrounds to discuss the Black experience."
The group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February in order to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass , both men played a significant role in helping to end slavery. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures. Eventually it evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses, due to the civil-rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, in 1976 President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History month.
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.
Every year, a theme is chosen by the ASAALH, this year's theme is The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity, it explores the African diaspora, and the spread of Black families across the United States.
Black History Month is a time for people to come together and hopefully learn lessons for the present and the future. It’s a time to honour the commitment to learning and standing united against racism.
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