Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian (often referred to the father of black history), Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

Black history is American history. "There is no American history without African American history," said Sara Clarke Kaplan, executive director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University in Washington, D.C. The Black experience, she said, is embedded in "everything we think of as 'American history.' "

But American history remains a segregated space. The paradox of Black History Month today, is that we still need it, even if it is not enough. 

Acknowledging that America is a multicultural society and that the accomplishments and contributions of people who are not White are real, substantial, and important is proof that the American ideals so many of us profess to value are real.​​​​​​​

https://www.rd.com/article/why-black-history-month-shouldnt-be-a-single-month/

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/26/1082532955/why-does-black-history-month-matter​​​​​​​

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month