| Black History Month | |
|---|---|
A painting dedicated to the founders of Black History Month, the Black United Students at Kent State University, by Ernie Pryor.
| |
| Also called | African-American History Month |
| Observed by | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands |
| Significance | Celebration of African-American history |
| Date | February (North America) October (Europe) |
| Frequency | Annual |
Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently has been observed unofficially in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated in February in the United States and Canada, while in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom it is observed in October.
History
Carter G. Woodson (1875–1950)
Negro History Week (1926)
The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be "Negro History Week". This week was chosen because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and of Frederick Douglass on February 14, both of which dates black communities had celebrated together since the late 19th century.
Negro History Week was the center of the equation. The thought-process
behind the week was never recorded, but scholars acknowledge two reasons
for its birth: recognition and importance.
Woodson felt deeply that at least one week would allow for the general
movement to become something annually celebrated. Also, after the ten
year long haul to successfully complete his "Journal of Negro History", he realized the subject deserved to resonate with a greater audience.
From the event's initial phase, primary emphasis was placed on
encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of black Americans
in the nation's public schools.
The first Negro History Week was met with a lukewarm response, gaining
the cooperation of the Departments of Education of the states of North Carolina, Delaware, and West Virginia as well as the city school administrations of Baltimore and Washington, D.C..
Despite this far from universal observance, the event was regarded by
Woodson as "one of the most fortunate steps ever taken by the
Association", and plans for a repeat of the event on an annual basis
continued apace.
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 the race 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.
By 1929, The Journal of Negro History
was able to note that with only two exceptions, officials with the
State Departments of Educations 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".
Churches also played a significant role in the distribution of
literature in association with Negro History Week during this initial
interval, 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,” as epitomized in the novel and movie
“Gone With The Wind. That myth argued that slaves had been
well-treated, that the Civil War was a war of “northern aggression,” and
that blacks had been better off under slavery. “When you control a
man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions,” Woodson
wrote in his book “The Miseducation of the American Negro.” “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.”
In the black community, 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. Negro History Week grew in popularity throughout the following
decades, with mayors across the United States endorsing it as a holiday.
On February 21, 2016, 106-year Washington D.C. resident and school volunteer Virginia McLaurin visited the White House
as part of Black History Month. When asked by the president 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."
United States: Black History Month (1970)
The
Black United Students first Black culture center (Kuumba House) where
many events of the first Black History Month celebration took place.
Black History Month was first proposed by black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, from January 2, 1970 – February 28, 1970.
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 President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month, during the celebration of the United 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".
United Kingdom (1987)
In the United Kingdom, Black History Month was first celebrated in October 1987. It was organised through the leadership of Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, who had served as a coordinator of special projects for the Greater London Council (GLC) and created a collaboration to get it underway. It was first celebrated in London.
Canada (1995)
In 1995, after a motion by politician Jean Augustine, representing the riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore in Ontario, Canada's House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month and honored Black Canadians. In 2008, Senator Donald Oliver moved to have the Senate officially recognize Black History Month, which was unanimously approved.
Republic of Ireland (2010)
Ireland's Great Hunger Institute, at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, notes: “Black History Month Ireland was initiated in Cork in 2010. This location seems particularly appropriate as, in the 19th century, the city was a leading center of abolition, and the male and female anti-slavery societies welcomed a number of black abolitionists to lecture there, including Charles Lenox Remond and Frederick Douglass."
Developments
When first established, black history month resulted in some controversy.
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 integration of
black history into the mainstream education the rest of the year.
Another concern was that contrary to the original inspiration for Black
History Month, which was a desire to redress the manner in which
American schools failed to represent Black historical figures as
anything other than slaves 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. Actor and director Morgan Freeman and actress Stacey Dash have criticized the concept of declaring only one month as Black History Month. Freeman noted, "I don't want a Black history month. Black history is American history."
Since its inception, black history month has expanded beyond its
initial acceptance in educational establishments. By 2020, Black History
month had become a focus beyond schools. The Wall Street Journal
describes it 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. It has also garnered attention from the U.S. business community. In February 2020 Forbes noted that "much of corporate America is commemorating" black history month including The Coca-Cola Company, Google, Target Corporation, Macy's, United Parcel Service and Under Armour.
