Black History Month is an annually observedcommemorative month originating in theUnited States, where it is also known asAfrican-American History Month.[4][5] It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of theAfrican diaspora, initially lasting a week before becoming a month-long observation since 1970.[6] It is celebrated in February in the United States[7] andCanada,[8] where it has received official recognition from governments, and more recently has also been celebrated inIreland and theUnited Kingdom where it is observed in October.[9][10]
The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historianCarter G. Woodson and theAssociation for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) announced the second week of February to be "Negro History Week".[11] This week was chosen because it coincided with thebirthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and that ofFrederick Douglass on February 14, both of which Black communities had celebrated since the late 19th century.[11] For example, in January 1897, school teacherMary Church Terrell persuaded the Washington, D.C. school board to set aside the afternoon of Douglass's birthday as Douglass Day to teach about his life and work in the city'ssegregated public schools.[12] The thought process behind the week was never recorded, but scholars acknowledge two reasons for its birth: recognition and importance.[13] In 1915, Woodson had participated in theLincoln Jubilee, a celebration of the 50 years sinceemancipation from slavery held inBronzeville, Chicago. The summer-long Jubilee, which drew thousands of attendees from across the country to see exhibitions of heritage and culture, impressed Woodson with the need to draw organized focus to the history of black people. He led the founding of the ASNLH in Chicago that fall, toward the end of the Jubilee.[12]
Early in the event's history,African-American newspapers lent crucial support.[14] From the event's initial phase, primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of Black Americans in the nation'spublic schools. The first Negro History Week was met with a lukewarm response, gaining the cooperation of the departments of education of the states ofNorth Carolina,Delaware, andWest Virginia as well as the city school administrations ofBaltimore,New York City,Philadelphia, andWashington, D.C.[15] Despite this limited observance, Woodson regarded the event as "one of the most fortunate steps ever taken by the Association", and plans for an annual repeat of the event continued.[15]
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 Blacks 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. The American Indian left no continuous record. He did not appreciate the value of tradition; and where is he today? The Hebrew keenly appreciated the value of tradition, as is attested by the Bible itself. In spite of worldwide persecution, therefore, he is a great factor in our civilization.[16]
In 1929,The Journal of Negro History noted that, with only two exceptions, officials with the state departments of education 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.[17] Churches also played a significant role in the distribution of literature in association with Negro History Week during this initial period, with the mainstream and Black press aiding in the publicity effort.
Throughout the 1930s, Negro History Week countered the growing myth of the South's"lost cause", which argued that enslaved people had been well-treated, that the Civil War was a war of "northern aggression", and that Black people had been better off under slavery. Woodson wrote, "When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions, you do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his 'proper place' and will stay in it."[18]
Negro History Week grew in popularity throughout the following decades, with mayors across the United States endorsing it as a holiday.[11]
Black History Month (1970)
The Black United Students first Black culture center, Kuumba House inKent State, where many events of the first Black History Month celebration took place[7]
Black educators and Black United Students atKent State University first proposed Black History Month in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place atKent State a year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970.[7]
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 PresidentGerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976, during the celebration of theUnited States Bicentennial. He urged Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history".[19]
Observance by region
United States
Black History Month on theUSSCarl Vinson (CVN-70) deployed in February 2015 in the 5th Fleet area of operations supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, strike operations in Iraq and Syria. Photo removed online by the Trump administration in 2025.
In the United States, Black History Month is commemorated during the month of February.[20] Since its inception, the Black community met the creation of 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.[11] Black History Month has also expanded beyond its initial acceptance in educational establishments. Carter Woodson's organization, now known as theAssociation for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), designates a theme each year.[21] For example, "Black Health and Wellness" in 2022 focused on medical scholars, health care providers, and health outcomes.[22]The Wall Street Journal describes Black History Month as "a time when the culture and contributions of African Americans take center stage" in a variety of cultural institutions, including theaters, libraries, and museums.[23]
Black History Month has garnered attention from the U.S. business community.[24] In 2018,Instagram created its first Black History Month program with the help of its Head of Global Music & Youth Culture Communications,SHAVONE. Instagram's Black History Month program featured a series of first-time initiatives, including a #BlackGirlMagic partnership withSpotify and the launch of the #CelebrateBlackCreatives program, which reached more than 19 million followers.[25] In February 2020, many American corporations commemorated Black History Month, includingThe Coca-Cola Company,Google,Target Corporation,Macy's,United Parcel Service andUnder Armour.[26]
On February 18, 2016, 106-year Washington, D.C., resident and school volunteerVirginia McLaurin visited theWhite House as part of Black History Month. When asked byPresident Barack Obama why she was there, McLaurin said: "A Black president. A Black wife. And I'm here to celebrate Black history. That's what I'm here for."[27][28]
1822 handbill advertising a Black boxing tutor inAlnwick, Northumberland; tweeted byNorthumberland Archives as part of Black History Month in 2020[31]
In the United Kingdom, Black History Month was first celebrated inOctober 1987[32] The year of 1987, recognized as the African Jubilee, was coincidentally the year of the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation, the centenary of the birth ofMarcus Garvey and the 25th anniversary of theOrganization of African Unity, an institution dedicated to advancing the progress of African states.[33] Black History Month in the UK was organised through the leadership ofGhanaian analystAkyaaba Addai-Sebo, who had served as a coordinator of special projects for theGreater London Council (GLC) and created a collaboration to get it underway.[34][35] The first Black History Month celebration in the UK was held in London on October 1, 1987, when Dr.Maulana Karenga from the US was invited to an event by theGreater London Council about Black people's contributions to history.[36]
Some institutions have faced criticism for supporting Black History Month with images of people from British Asian backgrounds, using the term "black" to refer topolitical blackness encompassing all people of color.[37]
Germany
InBerlin, Germany, in 1990, members of theBlack German community began observing Black History Month. Programs have included discussions of black Europeans, international African perspectives, the history of civil rights in the U.S., and apartheid in South Africa.[38]
Black History Month was first proclaimed by theCity of Toronto in 1979, and then by the Province ofOntario in 1993. Work done by the Ontario Black History Society helped lead to these proclamations.[40]
Canada defines the festivity as an opportunity to celebrate "the achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities who … have done so much to make Canada a culturally diverse, compassionate, and prosperous country".[41]
Jamaica
In Jamaica, Black History Month is observed during the month of February,[42][43] which had been informally adopted by the mid-1990s.[44] Special attention is given to this period as February also marksReggae Month,[43] which coincides with the birthdates of theKing of Reggae,Robert Nesta Marley OM, and thePrince of Reggae,Dennis Brown.[42][45] It has been a time to acknowledge and honour the achievements and inventions of black figures throughout history, and to reflect on liberation, past racial adversity and struggles.[42][46][47] During this period, locals especially reflect on and pay homage to the contributions of prominent African American civil rights activists, and Jamaican activists and pioneers who have been impactful internationally and nationally— such asMarcus Garvey,Bob Marley,Peter Tosh,Harry Belafonte,Ferdinand Smith,John Brown Russwurm, and others. Reggae's role in global social and political activism againstapartheid, oppression and inequality,[43][48][49] has amplified the significance of Black History Month on the island. Since January 9, 2008, February has been officially declared as Reggae Month, which also celebrates the genre's musical, cultural and economic contributions to the development of the island.[45]
In the past, some critics questioned the rationale and relevance of commemorating an "imported" event to Jamaican contexts— in light of differences in demographics and experiences between the United States and Jamaica, and Jamaicans' penchant of adopting anything emanating from the United States.[44] Others argued for greater attention to local heroes, while demonstrating solidarity with Black Americans.[44]
In 2020, Black History Month was celebrated in seven African countries for the first time. Participating countries wereBenin,Burkina Faso,Chad,Ivory Coast,Comores,Senegal andCameroon. The event was initiated by the organisation Africa Mondo founded byMélina Seymour. Starting in 2021, an African History Month was celebrated in March.[citation needed]
Developments
When first established, Black History Month resulted in some controversy.[53] 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 the integration of Black history into mainstream education for the whole year.
Another concern was that, contrary to the original inspiration for Black History Month, which was a desire to redress how American schools failed to represent Black historical figures as anything other than enslaved people or colonial subjects, Black History Month could reduce complex historical figures to overly simplified objects of "hero worship".
Other critics refer to the celebration as a form of racism.[54] Actor and directorMorgan Freeman and actressStacey Dash have criticized the concept of declaring only one month as Black History Month.[55][56] Freeman noted, "I don't want a Black history month. Black history is American history."[57]
In February 2025,Google announced that Black History Month would no longer be highlighted by default onGoogle Calendar, arguing that it was no longer "scalable or sustainable" to continue adding the growing number of national and international "cultural moments" manually to its calendars.[58]
Themes
In the US, a theme for each Black History Month is selected by the ASALH:[59][60][61]
1928: Civilization: A World Achievement
1929: Possibility of Putting Negro History in the Curriculum
1930: Significant Achievements of the Negro
1931: Neglected Aspects of Negro History
1932: What George Washington Bicentennial Commission Fail to Do
1933: Ethiopia Meets Error in Truth
1934: Contribution of the Negro in Poetry, in Painting, in Sculpture and in Science
1935: The Negro Achievements in Africa
1936: African Background Outlined
1937: American Negro History from the Time of Importation from Africa up to the Present Day
1938: Special Achievements of the Race: Oratory, Drama, Music, Painting, Sculpture, Science and Inventions
1939: Special Achievements of the Race: Religion, Education, Business, Architecture, Engineering, Innovation, Pioneering
1940: Negro Labor
1941: The Career of Frederick Douglass
1942: The Negro in Democracy
1943: The Negro in the Modern World
1944: The Negro and the New Order
1945: The Negro and Reconversion
1946: Let us Have Peace
1947: Democracy Possible only Through Brotherhood
1948: The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth
1949: The Use of Spirituals in the Classroom
1950: Outstanding Moments in Negro History
1951: Eminent Negroes in World Affairs
1952: Great Negro Educators (Teachers)
1953: Negro History and Human Relations
1954: Negro History: A Foundation for Integration
1955: Negro History: A Contribution to America's Intercultural Life
1956: Negro History in an Era of Changing Human Relations
1957: Negro History
1958: Negro History: A Factor in Nationalism and Internationalism
1959: Negro History: A Foundation for a Proud America
1960: Strengthening America Through Education in Negro History and African Culture
1961: Freedom and Democracy for the Negro after 100 years (1861–1961)
1962: Negro History and a New Birth of Freedom
1963: Negro History Evaluates Emancipation (1863–1963)
1964: Negro History: A Basis for the New Freedom
1965: Negro History: Freedom's Foundation
1966: Freedom from Racial Myths and Stereotypes Through Negro History
1967: Negro History in the Home, School, and the Community
1968: The Centennial of the Fourteenth Amendment Afro American History Week
1969: Changing the Afro American Image through History
1970:15th Amendment and Black America in the Century (1870–1970)
1971: African Civilization and Culture: A Worthy Historical Background
1972: African Art, Music, Literature; a Valuable Cultural Experience
1973: Biography Illuminates the Black Experience
1974: Helping America Understand
1975: Fulfilling America's Promise: Black History Month
1976: America for All Americans
1977: Heritage Days: The Black Perspective; the Third Century
1978: Roots, Achievements and Projections
1979: History: Torch for the future
1980: Heritage for America
1981: Black History: Role Model for Youth
1982: Afro American Survival
1983: Afro Americans in the United States
1984: Afro Americans and Education
1985: Afro American Family
1986: Afro American Experience: International Connection
1987: Afro Americans and the Constitution from Colonial Times to the Present
1988: Constitutional Status of Afro Americans in the 21st Century
1989: Afro Americans and Religion
1990: Seventy-Five Years of Scholarly Excellence: A Homage to Our Forebearers
1991: Educating America: Black Universities and Colleges, Strengths and Crisis
1992: African Roots Experience New Worlds, Pre-Columbus to Space Exploration
1993: Afro-American Scholars: Leaders, Activists and Writers
1994: Empowering Black Americans
1995: Reflections on 1895: Douglass, Du Bois & Washington
1996: Black Women
1997: African Americans and Civil Rights; a Reprisal
1998: Black Business
1999: Legacy of African American Leadership for the Present and the Future
2000: Heritage and Horizons: The African American Legacy and the Challenges for the 21st Century
2001: Creating and Defining the African American Community: Family, Church Politics and Culture
2002: The Color Line Revisited: Is Racism Dead?
2003: The Souls of Black Folks: Centennial Reflections
^Reddick, L. D. (January–June 2002). "25 Negro History Weeks".The Negro History Bulletin.65.
^Delmont, Matthew F. (2019).Black Quotidian: History. Stanford University Press.ISBN978-1503607040. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2022 – via Black Quotidian: Everyday History in African-American Newspapers.
