February is Black History Month.
Half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States, in 1915, Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History .
In 1926 the group sponsored a national Negro History week, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
In 1976 President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, asking the public to
seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans across U.S. history and society—from activists and civil rights pioneers such as Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Rosa Parks to leaders in industry, politics, science, culture and more.
Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The 2023 theme is Black Resistance, which explores, since the nation’s earliest days how,
African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms and police killings.”
After the recent deaths of George Floyd, Tyre Nichols and sadly too many others to count, we have a long way to go in this country.
Our resistance is in our activism.
— Smithsonian NMAAHC (@NMAAHC) February 1, 2023
Join us to explore the power of Black resistance: from activism, education, faith, press and #BlackJoy, with this year’s official @ASALH theme: https://t.co/amoH7VgoTg #BlackHistoryMonth #APeoplesJourney pic.twitter.com/lq35W1P3FJ
February is Black History Month. Here’s a look at the history of the month — and how the theme is chosen every year. https://t.co/Mgr3wVXwGh
— NPR (@NPR) February 1, 2023
Today is the first day of National Gun Violence Survivors Week and #BlackHistoryMonth. We can't talk about America's gun violence crisis without acknowledging its disproportionate impact on Black Americans. #GVSurvivorsWeek pic.twitter.com/tY7USgjCR1
— Everytown (@Everytown) February 1, 2023
(via History.com)
