February is celebrated as Black History Month, created as an annual time to remember important events and people in the history of the African American community.

   Black History Month was created by Carter G. Woodson in 1915; he started the Association for the Study of Negro  Life and History (ASNLH). The main idea of his studies was to promote the knowledge of African-American history (pshspawprint.com).

   According to Howard University History Professor Daryl Michael Scott, Woodsen chose the month of February to “encompass the birthdays of two great Americans who played a prominent role in shaping Black history, namely Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass”(pshspawprint.com).

   The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) website recommends several ways to celebrate Black history during February, such as supporting Black businesses, donating to a Historically Black College or University, studying the African Diaspora, and engaging in healthy conversations about Black history on social media (naacp.org).

   According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, “African American history month, […] is still a beacon of change and hope that is still surely needed in this world. The chains of slavery are gone — but we are all not yet free. The great diversity within the Black community needs the glue of the African American past to remind us of not just how far we have traveled but how far there is to go” (nmaahc.si.edu).

   Junior Isabella Tansey has been involved with trying to spread awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement as well as Black History Month. “I love this time of the year, because it’s Black History Month. I would say I became involved with the movement when I started to learn the history of African American culture. Since then, I have tried to spread awareness by donating, posting on social media, and going to rallies,” said Tansey.

   According to the History Chanel website, “Since 1976, every American President has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The Black History Month 2021 theme, ‘Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity,’ explores the African diaspora, and the spread of Black families across the United States” (history.com).