How Black History Month Came To Be

Black History Month has been being celebrated by Americans since 1926 when it was first known as "Negro History Week." Even though blacks have been around for a very long time it was not until about the 20Th century that they were respected in the history books. The "creator" of black history month was a man named Dr. Carter G. Woodson. While Woodson was studying as a doctor, he turned out to be very disturbed when he realized that the history books completely ignored the black population, and when they did gain their spot in the books, they were only referred to when talking about "inferior social position." Woodson wrote black Americans into history and also established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915, which is now referred to as the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. Then in 1916, he founded the very much respected Journal of Negro History. Finally, in 1926, Woodson launched the first Negro History Week to bring awareness to the contributions of black people throughout American History. Woodson made this week the second week in February, and the reason behind this is because during that week are the birthdays of two very important men that influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Not only that but February was also the month when the 15Th amendment was passed in 1870; the first black US senator, Hiram R. Revels, took office (1870); and in 1909 the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded.

Source: <www.infoplease.com/spot/blmintro1.html> and <http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html>






Black History Month is now a very big subject around the world. It is publicised on television and it reminds us of all of the important people in our past such as Martin Luther King, and how he opened so many doors with his 96 theses on the church doors. Even though you may not celebrate it as much as others, you should still respect it, equality is a big word, and it can change everything.