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How Black History Month Came to Fruition
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Emree Downey, Contributing Writer
Black History Month is the annual celebration and observance of African American culture and triumph throughout United States history, conceptualized in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson. This commemoration lasts from Feb. 1 – Mar. 1 because this month coincides with the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. As many know, Frederick Douglass was an American slavery escapee who later went on to become a leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, as well as an orator, writer and salesman. Former president Abraham Lincoln is most remembered for his signing of The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. However, many may argue that he should not be praised for this because though he freed millions of slaves from captivity, it was mainly for political and economic reasons.
Nearly a century ago, Black History Month was called Negro History Week by Woodson and others at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. In the late 1960s, the idea eventually grew in acceptance and evolved as what is known today as Black History Month; this was mainly fueled by protests around racial injustice and antiimperialism around the United States. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black History Month during the bicentennial when he stated Americans should, “seize the opportunity to honor the toooften neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every endeavor throughout our history.” Former President Barack Obama also had a few uplifting words about the monthlong celebration in 2016. “[Black History Month] is about the lived, shared experiences of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America.”
Though African Americans, and other people of color, should celebrate their heritage and culture every day, there is a certain thrill that one gets from having an entire month that recognizes it. We can look past all of the trials and tribulations that we have endured for centuries and acknowledge our roots and how far we have come as a community and as a societal whole.
Courtesy Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
