The Creation of Black History Month
/Though Black History Month has been celebrated in Canada for many years, many of us today may not know of its origin. Black History Month began as Black History Week in 1926. It was created by an organization that wanted to make the accomplishments of Black people widely known to the public as textbooks tended to erase the contributions of Black people from the historical record. The organization is still active today and goes by the name Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
As per National Geographic, the week chosen for this was the second week of February. Both Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln had their birthdays during the second week of February. For those who may not know Frederick Douglass, he was an abolitionist during the late 1800s.
President Gerald Ford decided to lengthen the week to the full month of February in 1976 as per National Geographic. From there, it was also officially named Black History Month. Though it started in the United States, Black History Month is celebrated in many countries around the world, including Canada.
For 2023, the theme of Black History Month was Black Resistance. Previous themes include The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity, A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture, and African Americans and the Vote.
In observing Black History Month, StFX had a calendar of events for the occasion. Some of the events included the raising of the Pan-African flag on campus and an official launch of Black History Month, a discussion on determinants of health and anti-racism on February 1, a brunch and discussion with Kate MacDonald on creative writing on February 8, an African Heritage Month Dinner at Morrison Hall on February 16, and an African Heritage Month Trivia Night at the Inn on February 28.
Though this is but a brief overview of the general history of Black History Month, I would encourage all readers to do research on the topic. We have included some links below, however, there are much more out there to explore.
Sources: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/black-history-month
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/frederick-douglass
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month
