Black History Month Begins

Black History Month starts today.

In 1976 the month was set aside to reflect on both the history and teachings of African Americans whose contributions to society were sometimes left out of the history books. But the celebration of Black History began even earlier than 1976. Educator Carter G. Woodson is the man credited with bringing Black History Month to prominence. During the 1920s, Woodson launched Negro History Week in February to promote the diversity of Black achievement in America.

Woodson chose the month of February because it included the birthdays of civil rights activist and educator Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln who signed the Emancipation Proclamation to free Blacks from slavery. Today, Black History Month is celebrated in schools and communities around the country with special emphasis on the contributions of Black America to society as a whole.