Black History Month

About Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual celebration to remember and learn more about the history and culture of black americans and their contributions to the history of the United States of America as well as Canada. Before Black History Month, Black Americans were mentioned rarely in history books, and mostly only as slaves. Black History Month became a time to celebrate them for their acheivments. A similar holiday is celebrated in the United Kingdom in October. 

History

The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) was started in 1915 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Rev. Jesse E. Moorland. They wanted to bring awareness to the contributions of African Americans in U.S. and world history. In 1920, Negro History and Literature Week was started by the fraternity, Omega Psi Phi. Woodson changed the name to Negro History Week in 1926. February was chosen because it was the birth month of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In 1976 it was extended to a month and called Black History Month.

References & Resources

• Black History Month Resources
• Black History Month: Surfing with kids
• Yahoo! Black History Month Sites
• CNN Black History Month
• Education First: Black History Activities

Visit these links for additional information: