Every February, the United States pauses to celebrate Black History Month, a tribute to the achievements, struggles, and cultural legacy of African Americans. What started as a single week nearly a century ago has grown into a nationwide tradition of education and remembrance.
Here are some fun, verified facts about how Black History Month began, how it evolved, and the trailblazers it honors.
Black History Month began in 1926 as "Negro History Week," created by historian Carter G. Woodson, who is often called the "Father of Black History."
Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week because it included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14), two figures central to the fight against slavery.
Carter G. Woodson co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) in 1915 to promote the scholarly study of Black history.
Negro History Week expanded into Black History Month during the 1960s and 1970s, driven partly by the civil rights movement and Black college students who wanted a fuller acknowledgment of Black history.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, urging Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."
Every U.S. president since Gerald Ford has issued an official proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month.
The United Kingdom celebrates Black History Month too, but in October rather than February.
Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History designates an official theme for Black History Month, guiding events, exhibits, and lesson plans nationwide.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and civil rights leader whose activism, including the 1963 March on Washington, helped bring about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Oprah Winfrey became the first Black woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show when The Oprah Winfrey Show went national in 1986; it ran for 25 seasons.
Mae Jemison became the first Black woman to travel in space when she flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in September 1992.
Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947 when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African American to play in the modern MLB era.
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in Washington, D.C., in 2016 and remains one of the most visited museums in the country.
Black History Month is marked today through school assemblies, museum exhibits, cultural festivals, and community events across the United States.
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