Black History Month: What Is It, and Why Do We Need It?

WHAT IS IT AND WHY DO WE NEED IT?

by Alem Tedeneke

• A continued engagement with history is vital as it helps give context for the present. • Black History Month is an opportunity to understand Black histories, going beyond stories of racism and slavery to spotlight Black achievement. • This year’s theme is The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity, and will explore the African diaspora. Here’s what to know about Black History Month and how to celebrate it this year:

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March 2022 equal opportunity employment journal Page 7 How did Black History Month begin?

Black History Month’s first iteration was Negro History Week, 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, aimed to encourage “people of all ethnic and social backgrounds to discuss the Black experience”.

“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.” - Carter G. Woodson

His organization was later renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASAALH) and is currently the oldest historical society established for the promotion of African American history. Why is Black History Month in February?

We at IEEE realize how fortunate we are to work with the best and brightest. Our mission is to advance technology for humanity, and we do so from one of the best places to work in New Jersey. Come Join Us! Visit www.ieee.org to view details about open positions in one of our four offi ces: Los Alamitos, CA; New York, NY; Piscataway, NJ; and Washington, DC The IEEE is an affi rmative action/equal opportunity employer M/F/D/V.

Our Employees Connect Brilliant Minds Every Day Our Employees Connect Brilliant Minds Every Day 2013 We at IEEE realize how fortunate we are to work 13-HR-0095-BPTW 2013 Ad-EEOC-Final.indd 1with the best and brightest. 3/15/13 4:13 PM Our mission is to advance technology for humanity, and we do so from one of the best places to work in New Jersey. We at IEEE realize how fortunate we are to work with the best and brightest. Our mission is to advance technology Come Join Us! Visit www. ieee.org to view details for humanity, and we do so from one of the best places to work in New Jersey. about open positions in one of our four offices: Los Come Join Us! Visit Alamitos, CA; New York, www.ieee.org to view details about NY; Piscataway, NJ; and Washington, DC open positions in one of our four offi ces: Los Alamitos, CA; New York, NY; Piscataway, NJ; and Washington, DC The IEEE is an affi rmative action/equal opportunity employer M/F/D/V.

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.

Woodson also understood that members of the Black community already celebrated the births of Douglass and Lincoln and sought to build on existing traditions. “He was asking the public to extend their study of Black history, not to create a new Our Employees Connecttradition”, as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASAALH) explained on its website. How did Black History Month become a Brilliant Minds Every Day national month of celebration? By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the civil-rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, Negro History Week was celebrated by mayors in cities across the country. Eventually, the event evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History month. In his speech, President Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”.

Since his administration, every American president has recognized Black History Month and its mission. But it wasn’t until Congress passed “National Black History Month” into law in 2013 1986 that many in the country began to observe it formally. The law aimed to make all Americans “aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity”. Why is Black History Month celebrated? The IEEE is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer M/F/D/V. Initially, Black History Month was a way of teaching students and young people about Black and African-Americans’ contributions. Such stories had been largely forgotten and were a neglected part of the national narrative.

Now, it’s seen as a celebration of those who’ve impacted not just the country but the world with their activism and achievements. In the US, the month-long spotlight during February is an opportunity for people to engage with Black histories, go 13-HR-0095-BPTW 2013 Ad-EEOC-Final.indd 1 beyond discussions of racism and slavery, and highlight Black 3/15/13 4:13 PM leaders and accomplishments.