Black History month has come to be one of the most celebrated times of the year for African Americans in contemporary society. When February hits the calendar, we start seeing ads on television, blog write-ups like this one, posts on social media, art created by black artists, and of course your usual educational content. Until Juneteenth was made an official day of celebration, this month was really the only time black culture was so publicly heard and seen, only to be quickly forgotten for another year come March 1. But one thing I have never heard discussed during Black History month is how it came to be that this month we all celebrate, learn about, and remember black history and culture, so I wanted to do a little research and give you a little enlightenment as well.
We know what Black History Month is, right? A dedicated time of focus on black excellence, black history, black culture, and unfortunately, the black struggle. And we know when it is, February, same time every year for all our lives (don’t think I let it pass me by that it just so happens to be the shortest month of the year). What most people don’t know is when is it started, why, how, and who we must credit for dedicating this time to the African Americans in our lives. Unofficially, we can date Black History Month back to 1915. It was fifty years after the Thirteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution had been ratified and abolished slavery for good. Marking the fiftieth anniversary of that monumental event, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History was established, or ASALH as it is better known, and was tasked with the job of researching the rich and colorful history of people of African descent. In 1926, ASALH decided to commemorate the lives of two individuals who had played an influential role in black history in America, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, by devoting and designating the week of their birthdays as the National Negro History Week. Lincoln’s birthday is February 12, and Douglass’ is February 14, the second week of the month. But, over the years, the week of celebration expanded outward, particularly during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and by the end of that decade we ended up with what we see today, Black History encompasses the whole month rather than just the one week it once was.
ASALH obviously played a critical role in the establishment of the week-long celebration that marked the beginning of something amazing, but who do we really have to thank? Carter G. Woodson, the founder of ASALH and the man who is known as the Father of Black History. And in 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month. Interestingly, he naturally did so from the White House, which was built by slaves. Ah, the irony. America’s idea for a month-long recognition gained popularity, however, and today Canada also celebrates February as Black History Month while the U.K. and Ireland celebrate their Black History Month in October.
Something I didn’t know about Black History Month until recently is that every year, the month also has a designated theme. This theme is created by the founders of the celebration, the ASALH, and 2024 marks the 98th annual theme: African Americans and the Arts. From their website, “In celebrating the entire history of African Americans and the arts, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) puts into the national spotlight the richness of the past and present with an eye towards what the rest of the twenty-first century will bring. ASALH dedicates its 98th Annual Black History Theme to African Americans and the arts.” In fact, they have already announced next year’s theme: African Americans and Labor. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History and Carter Woodson’s Association for the Study of Negro Life and History are, in fact, one and the same.
You can find all this information and far more on their website, ASALH.org. Cheers to a month of appreciating the beautiful and incredible contributions African Americans have made to the arts and, of course, to Black Excellence.
References:
ASALH. (2024). African Americans and Labor. https://asalh.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2025-Black-History-Theme-Executive-Summary-1.pdf
ASALH. (2024). Black History Themes. https://asalh.org/black-history-themes/
History. (2023). What is Juneteenth? https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth
About the Author:
Tia is an investigative journalist here at BLACK. She holds degrees in Political Science and Applied Economics from SNHU and she is a first-year law student at Purdue Global Law School, pursuing her J.D. She also has a certification in Human Rights from Wassmuth Center for Human Rights in Boise Idaho and she recently interned for the Office of Budget and Entitlement Policy at Cato Institute in Washington, D.C. Tia is a RESULTS 2024 Organizing and Advocacy Fellow and Outreach and Partnerships Coordinator. She lives with her husband and three children in Hurricane, West Virginia.
In her free time, she enjoys contemporary art, fashion, home décor, reading, and family. Tia is passionate about protecting American consumers and corporations and is a strong proponent for open markets, human rights, and equality for all. Her current focus is slavery reparations, entitlement program solvency, and budget appropriations process reform. While Tia is not black, she supports the fight for equality and stands with BLM. She believes that unearned privilege creates a duty to act against racial inequality and injustices.
Commenti