February is Black History Month. It is a month to celebrate and to learn about black people’s culture and history. Black History Month was not always a month, when it was first founded it was called Negro History Week. It originated when Carter G. Woodson was at a national celebration in Washington D.C to celebrate 50 years of emancipation (the freeing of someone from slavery) in 1912. Woodson had the idea to form an organization about black life and history. 

In 1915 Woodson, A.L. Jackson, and three other people formed the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH, later changed to Association for the Study of African American Life and History, ASALH). In 1924 Woodson’s fraternity borthers from Omega Psi Phi created Negro History and Literature Week, which they eventually renamed to Negro Acheivement Week.

By the 1960s Negro History Week was becoming History Month, and in 1976 it officially became Black History Month. It is celebreated in Feburary because celebrations already happend that month on the 12th and 14th for Abraham Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’ birthday. Since celebrations were already happening at that week they made the initial celebrations that week until it expanded into the entire month.