Black History Month is dedicated to recognizing the history of the Civil Rights movement and the continued struggles Black people have had to endure while fighting for equity and change for their community in America, as well as appreciating the Black community as a whole.

Senior Ayana Stewert stated, “Black History Month is about recognizing and honoring the contributors who made achievements in this country’s Black population. The month itself is the time to recognize important contributors like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and Maya Angelou, to name a few.”

The celebration of Black History Month originally grew from “Negro History Week” which was the idea of African American Historian Carter G. Woodson. The History Channel website states that “…since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month” (history.com). U.S. President Gerald Ford, the first to officially recognize Black History Month back in 1976, stated, “…seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history” (history.com).

The original “Negro History Week” was designated as the second week of Feburary, in large part because the week would coincide with the birthdays of two prominent figures in Black History, Abraham Lincoln born on February 12 and Frederick Douglass born on February 14, both of whom the Black community had been honoring since the late Nineteenth Century (history.com).

Woodson also co-founded the Association of the Study of African American Life and History, ASALH, with Minister Jesse E. Mooreland in September of 1915. This is what inspired Woodson to create “Negro History Week” in 1926. It was by the late 1960s that the celebration officially developed into Black History Month (history.com).

Each year the ASALH designates a specific theme for Black History Month. Woodson felt there was an importance to providing a theme because it would focus the attention of the public. ASALH stated, “The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience, but to bring to the public’s attention important developments that merit emphasis.”. Examples of past themes include “A World Achievement” in 1928, “Neglected Aspects of Negro History” in 1931, “Black Businesses” in 1998, and “The Crisis in Black Education” in 2017 (asalh.org).

This year’s the theme is “Black Health and Wellness” which “…explores the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing (birthworkers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora” (history.com).

Black History Month is about honoring those who contributed to the evolutions in Black History. Canada follows suit with the U.S. in celebrating Black History Month during the month of February. Other countries, like Ireland and the United Kingdom, celebrate their Black History Month in October. No matter when it is celebrated, it’s a reminder to appreciate and address the achievements in Black history, including the key moments and people that made and inspired change. It is also a time to educate oneself on the subject and to bring attention to the racism still being had today as the Black community continues to fight for change.