12 facts about Black History Month to enhance your February observance
Each February, the nation celebrates Black History Month, honoring the contributions of African Americans throughout history, and acknowledging the ongoing struggle for racial justice.
Each February, the nation commemorates Black History Month, a time to honor the enduring contributions of African Americans throughout history.
This observance serves as a poignant reminder of our shared journey and the ongoing quest for racial justice.
"African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms and police killings since our arrival upon these shores," said the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) in a statement.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH A CHANCE TO REFLECT ON UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
"These efforts have been to advocate for a dignified self-determined life in a just democratic society in the United States and beyond the United States political jurisdiction," added the association.
Explore a more profound understanding of Black History Month through these 10 enlightening facts.
1. The theme for 2024 Black History Month is ‘African Americans and the Arts’
A different theme is chosen for each year.
In 2023, the theme for Black History Month was "Black resistance," as outlined by ASALH, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Past themes have included Black health and wellness, family, migration and Black women in American culture and history, among others.
2. Countries worldwide celebrate Black History Month
Contrary to Canada, Black History Month spans October in the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Although the U.K. initially concentrated on Black American history, the focus has now shifted to honoring the rich tapestry of Black British history.
BLACK PATRIOTISM IN US HISTORY: HERE IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE TO REMEMBER DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
3. National organizations sponsor Black History Month
Renowned sponsors of National Black History Month include The Smithsonian Institution, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Library of Congress, and The National Park Service.
These organizations host a variety of community-focused learning sessions, art gallery exhibitions, and engaging talks by prominent speakers.
4. In the U.S., the population of Black or African Americans was approximately 48 million in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau
Black Americans comprise slightly more than 14% of the U.S. populace, as per Pew Research and the U.S. Census Bureau.
"In 1940, when the U.S. Census Bureau started asking about educational attainment, only 7% of Blacks had a high school education, compared with 24% for the nation as a whole," reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In 2023, 8,607 individuals within the Black or African American community held a bachelor's degree or higher.
Black History Month serves as a tribute to the diverse experiences of each African American, with celebrations often involving communal acknowledgments of community leaders, family legacies, and narratives that foster unity.
5. Carter G. Woodson is credited for the creation of Black History Month
Carter G. Woodson was born in 1875 to newly freed Virginia slaves.
He later earned a PhD in history from Harvard University.
Woodson worried that Black children were not being taught about their ancestors’ achievements in American schools in the early 1900s, as Fox 10 noted.
BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY
6. Negro History Week was changed to what is now known as Black History Month
In Feb. 1969, a group of Black activist students and teachers at Kent State conducted the first celebration of Black History Month.
Within a decade, Black social and cultural institutions throughout the country were celebrating the month, and by 1976, President Ford officially recognized it.
7. February was picked for Black History Month because it contained the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
President Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, and Frederick Douglass, a former slave who did not know his precise birthday, celebrated his date of birth on Feb. 14, Fox 10 also noted.
8. ASALH has celebrated Negro History Week and Black History Month for 98 years
Woodson, along with the association, announced in 1926 that the second week of February would commemorate the achievements of Black Americans.
Initially, prominent Black leaders and newspapers supported the idea, and some education centers along the East Coast observed the monthly celebration.
9. President Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976
President Ford called on Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history," as History.com noted.
10. President Obama delivered a message for Black History Month 40 years after Ford recognized Black History Month
"Black History Month shouldn't be treated as though it is somehow separate from our collective American history or somehow just boiled down to a compilation of greatest hits from the March on Washington or from some of our sports heroes… It's about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans."
11. Canada commemorates Black History Month in February
Although Black Canadians are approximately 4.3% of the country's total population, community leaders and activists still celebrate the historical achievements of the Black community.
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Canadian politicians Jean Augustine and Donald Oliver were instrumental in getting Black History Month officially recognized in the country in 2008.
12. Woodson believed the teaching of Black history was key to the physical and intellectual survival of the race in 1926
"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," Woodson said in part, as the Journal of Negro History reported.
Phillip Nieto contributed reporting.
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