Black History Month

Across the United States and Canada, Black History Month is recognized during the month of February. Not only is this month known for Valentines Day and Presidents Day, but it’s also a month to commemorate and acknowledge our Black communities for their struggles and achievements. Of course, we can see the whole country host special events in schools and communities to celebrate BHM, but only a small percentage of students and young adults actually know how Black History Month came to be.

“Why did they give us the shortest month in the year?”. Here’s your answer.

The origins of Black History Month can be traced back to 1915. At that time, Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). Together, they promoted the very first Negro History Week. “...in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, the event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures”.

This is where we can see the beginning of what we know as Black History Month. After the civil rights movement in the 1960s, Negro History Week expanded into Black History Month.

It’s a month to remember, celebrate, and appreciate the sacrifices, struggles, and achievements made by the Black/African American community in the United States. African Americans, along with other people of color, have built the foundations of the United States. It is even more crucial now than ever to learn about our history and understand the outstanding contributions Black Americans and people of color have given to this country.

Thinking back to the summer of 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement reached national and international headlines. While the Black community has made considerable headway in this nation, there is yet so much to be done. Black History Month is not only for the current Black community but for the Black community of the past and the future. It’s for those alive and those who have passed away.

That summer, I learned that the world isn’t fair. I learned that the world is dangerous for me, people who look like me, and all other people of color. The system isn’t fair. The constant racism isn’t fair. Being a Black American makes you understand all the different ways the system is pinned against you. But, it makes you understand all the blood, sweat, and tears that were put into giving all of us young, black kids opportunities. Black History Month means being able to reflect on it. It means celebrating the progress made and the progress yet to be made.