Why is February Black History Month?
Why is February Black History Month?
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| Why is February Black History Month? |
Every year in February, America celebrates Black History Month.
But have you ever stopped and wondered why is it in February? Let’s find out on
today's episode of Colossal Questions. It hasn't gone unnoticed on the internet
that Black History Month also just so happens to fall on the shortest month of
the year.
Coincidence? I think not. But luckily, not for a bad reason.
February became Black History Month, not because it's shorter than any other month,
but because a couple of important figures happen to have February birthdays.
You see the idea goes all the way back to the mid-1920s when a
historian named Carter G Woodson worked with an organization to create what
they called Negro History Week.
Mr. Woodson didn't like that most school textbooks at the time
either minimized or all ignored much of Black history in the US and the
contributions of all kinds of Black historical figures, so he decided to take
matters into his own hands and help raise awareness.
He worked with a nonprofit group to organize the event, landing on
the second week of February, Hoping it would help raise awareness for all
these lost stories.
Why the second week of February specifically? Well, Woodson picked
that week because of two big birthdays, Abraham Lincoln on the 12th, and
Frederick Douglass on the 14th. Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation, which
declared that all enslaved people were free, and Frederick Douglass was a
former slave and an abolitionist who was a powerful speaker and writer on
African-American issues before, during, and after the Civil War.
Both men were iconic figures, and both had birthdays the same
week, so to Carter G Woodson, it seemed like a no-brainer. At first, declaring
a specific week to learn the history of Black Americans was more or less
ignored in some parts of the country, while others took to it right away.
It took some time, but over the years, mayors, school districts,
and colleges around the country started to recognize it more and more.
Over time, the groundswell of interest helped the holiday grow to
the point where students at Kent State University in 1969 proposed the idea of a
Black History Month.
They built off the back of
the week-long occasion and decided to make the entire month of February a chance
to learn about Black history. The event took place on the school's campus in
February of 1970.
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| Why is February Black History Month? |
The idea spread, and fast. Just six years later, President Gerald
Ford officially recognized Black History Month as part of the bicentennial, a
series of celebrations for America's 200th birthday.
So why is February Black History Month? Well, definitely not
because it’s the shortest month of the year, but to recognize two iconic
figures in US history who happened to be born in February.
Education gap: The root of inequality
So 28 days might make the shortest month, but it's plenty of time
to learn, just like Carter G Woodson always wanted.
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