The More You Know: Black History Month

Editor’s Note: “The More You Know” is a new series about different intriguing and informative matters. If there is something you think The Trailblazer should report on for this series, please leave a comment and let us know.

For the first story of the series, I thought it would be nice to honor Black History Month by writing about the month and its origin. 

Out of all the 12 months in the year, why was February chosen to represent Black History? According to weforum.org, the annual celebration of black history was established by historian and founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Carter G. Woodson. He decided February would be the best option because it was the birth month of both former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and social reformer Frederick Douglass. Both men made notable contributions in helping to end slavery.

The month was put in place to honor many African Americans’ achievements throughout history. In the words of weforum.org, “In the US, the month-long spotlight during February is an opportunity for people to engage with Black histories, go beyond discussions of racism and slavery and highlight Black leaders and accomplishments.”

Although Black History Month originated in the United States, its powerful symbolism has traveled to countries such as Canada, Irelandand the United Kingdom and has inspired many people.

In an article written by Fox News, they quoted one of Barack Obama’s White House speeches, “Black History Month shouldn’t be treated as though it is somehow separate from our collective American history or somehow just boiled down to a compilation of greatest hits from the March on Washington or from some of our sports heroes … It’s about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans.”