The History of Black History Month

Black history month, also called African American history month, essentially began due to the efforts of one man, Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Dr. Woodson found that history books lacked any mention of the accomplishments or contributions black people had made throughout their long history as Americans. In fact, the only black American recognized as having contributed to the culture of the United States was George Washington Carver. To correct this omission, Dr. Woodson began researching and inserting black stories and experience into historical chronicles.

In 1915, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now known as the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. Then, in 1926, Dr. Woodson introduced Negro History Week as a way to highlight the accomplishments of black people in American history.

Celebrations of black history first started as the second week of February to correlate with the birthdays of two men that loom large in the history of African Americans: President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The bicentennial of the United States in 1976 motivated the legislature to designate the entire month of February as a time for celebrating black history.

And the rest as they say, is history.