Celebrate Black History Month with PBS Join us in February and all year long as we celebrate Black history and all its facets. Black History Month The Undefeated 44 most influential black Americans in history. "[15], Negro History Week grew in popularity throughout the following decades, with mayors across the United States endorsing it as a holiday. Black History Month gives us a moment to observe the stories of those that came before us to inspire our light. The American Indian left no continuous record. Although he had prepared notes, Martin Luther King Jr. improvised much of his "I Have A Dream" speech. js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; [10] Woodson felt deeply that at least one week would allow for the general movement to become something annually celebrated. Brain Tumor Awareness Month (UK) Hexagonal Awareness Month Its aims are therefore curricular and socio-political. Starting on Feb. 4, the … [9], Black History Month was first proposed by black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University in February 1969. Real change relies on the forging of communities and creating spaces for enlightening conversations to take place. National Mentoring Month (United States) Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month (United States) February. Every week we'll be spotlighting a cross-section of events on that theme, from panel discussions with influential Black voices through to … Talking Drums: a Family Program for Black History Month. In the UK, it is celebrated in October Black History Month got its start in 1926 when Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an African American, promoted Negro History Week in February. [6], Ireland's Great Hunger Institute, at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, notes: "Black History Month Ireland was initiated in Cork in 2010. National African American History Month had its origins in 1915 when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Black History Month challenges racism and promotes understanding by making sure that black people's achievements and stories are not ignored. "You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. Event creators are stepping up to make that happen with a packed programme of events that inspire action, education, and awareness. First Day of Black History Month: Annual monthly observance: 2017: Wed: Feb 1: First Day of Black History Month: Annual monthly observance: 2018: Thu: Feb 1: First Day of Black History Month: Annual monthly observance: 2019: Fri: Feb 1: First Day of Black History Month: Annual monthly observance: 2020: Sat: Feb 1: First Day of Black History Month: Annual monthly observance: 2021: Mon: Feb 1 cookie : true, Since proclamation by President Jimmy Carter, it is celebrated every February in the United States during "Black History Month." American Heart Month (United States) Black History Month (United States and Canada) LGBT History Month (United Kingdom) National Bird-Feeding Month (United States) March. window.fbl_started = true; },100); The precursor to Black History Month is started by historian Carter G. Woodson, the "Father of Black History.". Stories like this are why we need to focus on black stories outside of Black History Month. During Black History Month, it’s a beautiful time to educate our youth about the African-Americans who paved the best way for civil rights in America. Black History Month, which is celebrated each year during February, is a chance for Americans to learn details of our nation’s history that, unfortunately, are far too often neglected and pushed to the wayside. But why is February designated as the month to commemorate African American history? Civil Rights Trail. "[28], Since its inception, Black History Month has expanded beyond its initial acceptance in educational establishments. [24] Those who believed that Black History Month was limited to educational institutions questioned whether it was appropriate to confine the celebration of Black history to one month, as opposed to integration of black history into the mainstream education the rest of the year. }); autoLogAppEvents : true, To provide for the designation of the month of February, 1986 as "National Black (Afro-American) History Month," Public Law No. From business, law and education to technology, sport and the creative arts fbl_init() Celebrated during the shortest month of the year, Black History Month is a way for the United States to honor the achievements of Black people and their contributions to American … What happened in the past shapes and informs where we are heading in the future, and it’s of paramount importance to set aside a month for learning as much as we can about black history. Known today as the Harlem Renaissance, this “golden age” of art, literature, and music transformed the Harlem neighborhood into a cultural hub for African Americans, with Augusta Savage‘s many contributions at its core.. Savage was a Florida-born sculptor. BLACK HISTORY MONTH is one of the most widely-celebrated of American, federal months. National African American History Month in February celebrates the contributions that African Americans have made to American history in their struggles for freedom and equality and deepens our understanding of our Nation's history. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently has been observed in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Proposed by black educators and students at Kent State University in 1969, the first Black History Month observance takes place one year later. To try and relegate all of our history to the shortest month of the year is impossible. Ask them what they have planned for Black History Month and what specific legislative actions they plan to take to ensure that your community never backtracks in its pledge to provide opportunities for each and every person. [5], Six years later, Black History Month was being celebrated all across the country in educational institutions, centers of Black culture and community centers, both great and small, when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month, during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial. Designed to highlight important people, events, and milestones related to the African diaspora, Black History Month is a longstanding commemoration. Black History Month is traditionally a time to honor black Americans and, theoretically, accord them their proper place in American history. Celebrate Black History Month with PBS. [9], On February 21, 2016, 106-year Washington D.C. resident and school volunteer Virginia McLaurin visited the White House as part of Black History Month. And yet, every year, people try. It refuses to let the most important facts about our shared and collective memory disappear into the depths of forgotten history. [29] By 2020, Black History Month had become a focus beyond schools. [33], United States: Black History Month (1970). Also, after the ten year long haul to successfully complete his "Journal of Negro History", he realized the subject deserved to resonate with a greater audience. [25] Actor and director Morgan Freeman and actress Stacey Dash have criticized the concept of declaring only one month as Black History Month. The thought-process behind the week was never recorded, but scholars acknowledge two reasons for its birth: recognition and importance. Awareness of this undeniable fact can help us chart our nation's course to a more enlightened age for every American. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970. Black History Month (BHM) is an educational initiative whose aim is to celebrate the contributions of black people in history. African American History Month, also called Black History Month, a monthlong commemoration of African American history and achievement that takes place each February in the United States. A discussion on four different mental health topics that … As the saying goes, black history is American history — and it’s a varied and rich history. The story of Black History Month begins in Chicago during the summer of 1915. Mr. Singleton's vision when creating the foundation was to further develop and cultivate relationships between the youth of Greenville and the Scholarship foundation. Black history month is an important time to celebrate Black people. Together, we can continue the work started by these pioneering activists and finally bring their goals – and our country’s founding ideals – to fruition. Black History Month, which is celebrated each year during February, is a chance for Americans to learn details of our nation’s history that, unfortunately, are far too often neglected and pushed to the wayside. 1961. [9] This week was chosen because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and of Frederick Douglass on February 14, both of which dates black communities had celebrated together since the late 19th century. The origins of Black History Month lay in early 20th-century historian Carter G. Woodson's desire to spotlight the accomplishments of Black Americans. As always, my door is open. window.FB.Event.subscribe('xfbml.render', function() { "Negro History Week: The Fourth Year", p. 110. Every February we re … [20] Black History Month in the UK was organised through the leadership of Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, who had served as a coordinator of special projects for the Greater London Council (GLC) and created a collaboration to get it underway. Martin Luther King Jr. said that "history books ... had almost completely ignored the contribution" of American blacks throughout history. Holiday survey data is powered by TOP Agency, You may know how the celebration of Black History Month was originally created, starting with its precursor in 1926 and being officially proposed as Black History Month in 1970 in the USA. [26][27] Freeman noted, "I don't want a Black history month. Instagram's Black History Month program featured a series of first-time initiatives, including a #BlackGirlMagic partnership with Spotify and the launch of the #CelebrateBlackCreatives program, which reached more than 19 million followers. "[23], When first established, Black History Month resulted in some controversy. [33] For this reason and others, fewer Black undergraduates are choosing to attend HBCUs, this figure has gradually declined to 22% as of 2002 (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. The campaign, for Ford’s F-150, will run across G/O Media’s sites, but the Root will be at its centerpiece; the campaign, celebrating Black History Month, centers of moments of Black joy. Then followed its recognition in the United Kingdom in 1987, Canada – in … Popular figures such as Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and Nelson Mandela, as well as popular black figures like Barak Obama, the first black American president, and Alice Coachman, the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. window.fbl_started = false; Find a book about a piece of black history that you were previously unaware of and get educated. WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) — Colonial Williamsburg is inviting residents to commemorate Black History Month in February with a range of research, interpretation, and … American history is actively being changed by the contributions of black Americans regularly. January 25, 2021 11:47 AM. It was begun in 1976. [14], Throughout the 1930s, Negro History Week countered the growing myth of the South’s "lost cause", as epitomized in both the novel and the movie Gone With The Wind. 99-244, 100 Stat. appId : '179692745920433', At the time of Negro History Week's launch, Woodson contended that the teaching of black history was essential to ensure the physical and intellectual survival of the race within broader society: If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated. "When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions", Woodson wrote in his book The Miseducation of the American Negro. The idea for Black History Month started in the USA with the work of Carter G Woodson. But why is February designated as the month to commemorate African American history? var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if( !window.fbl_started) clearInterval(fbl_interval); The lessons of Black History Month provide us with a way forward by examining our past. [21] It was first celebrated in London in 1987, as part of African Jubilee Year, when on October 1 Dr Maulana Karenga from the US was invited to an event at County Hall to mark the contributions of Black people throughout history, and Addai-Sebo drew up a plan to recognise the contributions of African, Asian and Caribbean people to the economic, cultural and political life in the UK, with other boroughs beginning formally to institute October as Black History Month in the UK. Mainstream historians left out Black Americans from the narrative of American history up until the 1960s, and Woodson worked his entire career to correct this blinding oversight. Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl, refused to move to the back of a bus nine months before Parks did. js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; } ); In 1918, a groundbreaking movement emerged in New York City. Another concern was that contrary to the original inspiration for Black History Month, which was a desire to redress the manner in which American schools failed to represent Black historical figures as anything other than slaves or colonial subjects, Black History Month could reduce complex historical figures to overly simplified objects of "hero worship". The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American … Commemorating Black History Month and contributions of African-American United States Senators, S. … [13] Churches also played a significant role in the distribution of literature in association with Negro History Week during this initial interval, with the mainstream and black press aiding in the publicity effort. It began in 1926 when Carter G. Woodson, an African-American historian and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History designated the second week of the month of February as “Negro History Week.” It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently has been observed in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In spite of worldwide persecution, therefore, he is a great factor in our civilization. It is celebrated in February in the United States[5] and Canada,[6] while in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom it is observed in October.[7][8][3]. [22], In 1995, after a motion by politician Jean Augustine, representing the riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore in Ontario, Canada's House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month and honored Black Canadians. It started in the USA with the work of Carter G Woodson. That's what Black History Month is for", "How Ireland is celebrating its National Black History Month", "Black History Month has to be more than hero worship", "There is a White Sale at Macy's: Reflections on Black History Month", "Stacey Dash says Morgan Freeman agrees with her views on Black History Month, ask for apology from 'Twitter haters, "Freeman calls Black History Month 'ridiculous, "SHAVONE. "[17], In the United Kingdom, Black History Month was first celebrated in October 1987[19] (which year was also coincidentally the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation, the centenary of the birth of Marcus Garvey and the 25th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity, an institution dedicated to advancing the progress of African states). The 2021 Black History Month line-up: • "Mental Health in the Black Community, a Retrospective" at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2. FBL.renderFinish(); Thousands of African Americans travelled from … window.fbl_started ) (Cross, 2007)[33] This competition is reflected in the inducements offered by PWIs to qualified Black applicants, most notably monetary incentives, which for many students and their parent find too attractive to pass is. [12], By 1929, The Journal of Negro History was able to note that with only two exceptions, officials with the State Departments of Educations of "every state with considerable Negro population" had made the event known to that state's teachers and distributed official literature associated with the event". Real change relies on the forging of communities and creating spaces for enlightening conversations to take place. if( ! There are many ways to educate society about the experiences that African Americans endured. Black history is American history. } How did Black History Month begin? Mainstream historians left out Black Americans from the narrative of American history up until the 1960s, and Woodson worked his entire career to correct this blinding oversight. [30] It has also garnered attention from the U.S. business community. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is founded. To celebrate, we’re offering four new lessons and a free demo experience to support teachers as they address these critical topics. February marks Black History Month, and in 2021, Philadelphians have a way to celebrate the occasion through art, or more specifically, with Mural Arts Philadelphia. From the event's initial phase, primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of black Americans in the nation's public schools. Alvin Ailey Because he brought dance and the beauty of black bodies to the fight for justice Founder … He currently serves […] Black History Month, which takes place in February, highlights the achievements – and struggles against adversity – of African Americans. status : false, That's what I'm here for. It began in America in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and was adopted in Britain in 1987 under the aegis of the GLC. When is Black History Month celebrated? Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month are important opportunities to teach students about the history of Civil Rights and the ongoing struggle for social justice and racial equity. The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be "Negro History Week". } catch (e){} In the 21st century, Black history is regarded as mainstream. [33] This dwindling percentage, coupled with opportunities at PWIs, have led some to speculate whether the HBCU has outlived it purpose and lost its relevance for Black youth (Lemelle, 2002; Sowell 1993; Suggs, 1997b). Students at an elementary school in Washington, D.C., participating in an African American History Month event, 2011. Black History Month is celebrated every year in February. The origins of Black History Month. try{ [16], In the black community, Black History Month was met with enthusiastic response; it prompted the creation of Black history clubs, an increase in interest among teachers, and interest from progressive whites. Origins of Black History Month. Black History Month inspires us to search beyond the typical — and to seek out the extraordinary. Here are a few non-profits making positive impacts on the black community. Gerald Ford urges Americans to honor the U.S. AP Images “February is Black History Month.” Since the 1970s that familiar declaration has introduced countless celebrations of African American history and achievement, from Black History Minutes on local television stations to the pronouncements of U.S. presidents. A wise nation honors and learns from its past. version : 'v6.0' During National Black History Month (February) we recognize the contributions made and the important presence of African Americans to the United States and celebrate their heritage and culture. HOUSTON – Black History Month is coming up, and the Holocaust Museum Houston has a packed schedule to celebrate. Beginning Thursday, Jan. 28 Louisiana Public Broadcasting kicks off its celebration of In 2008, Senator Donald Oliver moved to have the Senate officially recognize Black History Month, which was unanimously approved. The first black U.S. senator was Hiram Revels, who took office in 1870. The origins of Black History Month lay in early 20th-century historian Carter G. Woodson's desire to spotlight the accomplishments of Black Americans. Black History Month in Boston is an opportunity to celebrate the rich and integral role that African Americans have played in the ongoing story of America. The most critical resource of any institution of higher learning is its human capital, and HBCU's are at risk of losing that as well. We keep track of fun holidays and special moments on the cultural calendar — giving you exciting activities, deals, local events, brand promotions, and other exciting ways to celebrate. One of the best ways to get the ball rolling toward a better society is by contacting members of Congress. It was originally established in 1926 as Negro History Week by noted African-American author and Harvard University scholar, Dr. Carter G. Woodson. AP Images “February is Black History Month.” Since the 1970s that familiar declaration has introduced countless celebrations of African American history and achievement, from Black History Minutes on local television stations to the pronouncements of U.S. presidents.

It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. As the saying goes, black history is American history — and it’s a varied and rich history.