Black History Month is an important time to remember important people, events, and movements of African American history. While some Federal Agencies ignore Black History Month over anti-DEI acts, the February-long celebrations are as important as ever.
Black History Month originated in 1926 with the concept of “Negro History Week” established by Carter G. Woodson. This was expanded to Black History Month and officially recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1976. Black History Month was designated to February because of the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, both important figures in the Abolitionist movement.
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most prominent leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, and he is honored every February. Martin Luther King Jr. is regarded as America’s pre-eminent advocate for non-violent protest even though his philosophy changed later in his life. The youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, King Jr. was famous for his “I Have a Dream Speech” after the March on Washington and leading the Selma to Montgomery march. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
Malcolm X, an African American revolutionary and a minister, was another leading figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Malcolm X was a controversial figure as many accused him of preaching violence. A Black nationalist, Malcolm X became disillusioned with the Nation of Islam and became wearier of violent protest before his assassination in 1965.
Important African Americans from the pre-Civil Rights Movement are Frederick Douglass (an abolitionist), W.E.B. Du Bois (a scholar and founder of the NAACP), and Harriet Tubman (Civil War spy and suffragist).
Tubman was one of many Black women at the forefront of the women’s suffrage movement. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery but escaped with her infant daughter in 1826. Her speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” is famous for its powerful message of intersectionality and use of dialect. Ida B. Wells was a journalist who used her writing to document the horrors of lynching. Wells established several notable women’s organizations.
Black Americans are a crucial part of the nation’s “melting pot.” Every February we recognize their suffering and subjugation, while we also celebrate monumental civil rights achievements and cultural contributions.
