“Black History Month” is an annual celebration for all the history-making moments made by African Americans and a time of reflection and recognition for the role African Americans played in U.S. History. This event branched off of “Negro History Week” established by Carter G. Woodson and others. Ever since 1976, every U.S. president had specifically appointed February to be the time in which they celebrate black history. Other countries all over the world, including the United Kingdom and Canada designate a specific time to celebrate “Black History”.

The start of “Black History Month” started in the year 1915, which was 50 years after the 13th Amendment had exterminated slavery within the United States. In the month of September in the year 1915, Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland created the “Association for the Study of Negro Life and History” which was an organization founded for the research and promotion of feats made by African Americans and others. Today that organization is known as the “Association for the Study of African American Life and History” and that group of people promoted a world-wide “Negro History Week” in the year 1926. ASALH specifically chose the second week of February to merge with Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’s birthday, which both men play an important role in African American history.

This event became an inspiration for schools and communities around the nation to put together events and celebrations to praise the achievements of African Americans and to begin to create history clubs and establish performances and lectures for the recognition of African Americans throughout history.

Decades after, mayors around the nation had begun to promote and create yearly celebrations for the recognition of “Negro History Week”. By the time the 1960’s rolled around, with the help of the “Civil Rights Movement” and an expanding awareness of black history, “Negro History Week” had expanded into “Black History Month” all around colleges. President Gerald R. Ford officially acknowledged “Black History Month” in 1976 and announced to the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Ever since that time, every American president appointed February as “Black History Month” and continue to celebrate every African American achievement in U.S. history.