Black History Month is celebrated throughout February. Black History Month began as Black History Week only during the second week of February. The way Black History Month has been celebrated across the country has evolved as time went by being that it originally was a week-long African-American history lesson in public schools and now present day it is celebrated by a variety of celebrations across the nation. 

Carter G. Woodson is the reason why Black History Month is what it is today. Woodson was born in 1875 and passed seventy-five years ago in 1950 but his drive to highlight black excellence is still felt today. Woodson helped create the Association for Negro Life and History which put a spotlight on African Americans and their accomplishments. Woodson was one of the first African-American people to earn his PhD at Harvard University in 1912 and his area of study was centered around history.

In 1976 Black History Month was recognized by Gerald Ford who was president at the time. Many people wonder why Black History Month is celebrated during the shortest month of the year and circling back to the roots of Black History Month Woodson wanted what originally was Black History Week to be around the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass because in his eyes they played a key role in African-American history.

Every year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History sets a theme for Black History Month. This year, the theme is African Americans and Labor, shining light on “the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds – free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary – intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. Indeed, work is at the very center of much of Black history and culture” (ASALH website).

In our community, Black History Month is being celebrated in many ways. North BSU put together their yearly Showcase of Black Excellence on February 13th, and later in the month there will be another event from S.H.I.N.E & G.R.I.N.D an outside group hosted at North also. Across the Twin Cities there are also events open to the public in the upcoming weeks.

Happy Black History Month!