“February is Black History Month.” This familiar statement marks an annual celebration of African American history and achievements, recognized through various observances, from educational segments on television to official declarations by U.S. presidents. But what are the historical reasons that February was chosen as the designated month for Black History Month?
The origin of Black History Month in February can be traced back to Carter G. Woodson, a distinguished African American historian who played a pivotal role in establishing the field of African American studies during the early 20th century. Inspired by the 50th-anniversary celebration of emancipation in 1915, Woodson, along with others, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). This organization aimed to encourage in-depth scholarly research into Black history, an area significantly overlooked in academia and educational institutions at the time. In 1916, Woodson initiated The Journal of Negro History, the association’s primary academic publication. Furthering his commitment, Woodson spurred his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, to launch Negro History and Literature Week in 1924. Driven by a desire to amplify the recognition of African American history, Woodson and the ASNLH officially established Negro History Week in February 1926.
Martin Luther King Jr. leading the Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights in 1965, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement and African American history.
The selection of February was not arbitrary. It directly acknowledges the birth months of two towering figures in Black history: Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. President who issued the Emancipation Proclamation (born on February 12), and Frederick Douglass, the renowned African American abolitionist, orator, and author (born on February 14). Even before Negro History Week, the Black community had long commemorated the contributions of Lincoln and Douglass to African American liberation and civil rights through birthday celebrations. By situating Negro History Week in February, Woodson strategically honored the enduring legacies of both Lincoln and Douglass. Furthermore, this timing broadened the existing celebrations of Black historical figures to encompass a wider recognition of the history and accomplishments of Black people as a whole.
Over time, the concept expanded. By the 1940s, numerous communities had already evolved Negro History Week into Negro History Month. The momentum of the American civil rights movement and the burgeoning Black consciousness of the 1960s further propelled this evolution, with Negro History Week increasingly becoming Black History Month in various localities. In 1976, the ASNLH, by then renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, played a crucial role in formally institutionalizing February as Black History Month. U.S. President Gerald Ford officially recognized this month, urging all Americans to participate in its observance. Every subsequent president has continued this tradition, sometimes referring to it as National Afro-American (Black) History Month or National African American History Month, solidifying February’s place as a time to reflect on and celebrate Black history.
