What is the Meaning of Black History Month?
The 1920's and 1930's were a time when the Harlem Renaissance helped to foster a new black cultural identity. In 1926, Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, a black historian from Kentucky who earned a Ph.D from Harvard, established what is now annually celebrated as Black History Month.
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History
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Originally called Negro History Week, Black History Month was created by Dr. Woodson after he noticed the lack of attention paid to Black Americans in the history books.
Significance
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The month of February was chosen because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln had birthdays in that month.
Function
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In 1915, Woodson took on the challenge of writing Black Americans into history by organizing the Association For Study of Negro Life & History, which was created to collect, preserve and document the achievement of black people.
Time Frame
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Black History Month is annually celebrated in February as a celebration of the many contributions made in the United States and around the world by those of African descent.
Benefits
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Dr. Woodson strongly believed that documenting black history and educating the public were both vitally important ingredients to the progress of race relations and the progression of the lives of Black Americans.
Fun Fact
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Dr. Woodson, who died April 3, 1950 and left Black History Month as his legacy, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990.
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