Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. This year’s theme, “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity” explores the African diaspora, and the spread of Black families across the United States. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.
The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded an organization, known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent.
By the late 1960’s, thanks in part to the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, Black History Week had evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”