DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know the history of Black History Month dates back to the 1915?
That’s when historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland, a prominent minister at the time, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). The ASNLH was an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent and today is known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
In 1926, the ASALH sponsored a national Negro History week during the second week in February to coincide with Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. For decades, communities, schools and churches across the U.S. used that week to host local celebrations, lectures, etc.
By the late 1960s, “Negro History Week” had evolved into “Black History Month” on many college campuses thanks to the power of the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity.
In 1976, then President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month and declared the month a time to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Still today, Black History Month is held in February and is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrate Black history.
