Google is also celebrating The month of February is designated as Black History Month. This month-long commemoration in the United States and Canada is an opportunity to celebrate Black achievement while also serving as a timely reminder to assess where systematic racism still exists and to highlight the people and organizations working to address it.
Here is how you can check Google Celebration on Black History Month!
What was the origin of Black History Month?
Black History Week, started in February 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, the “father of Black history,” was the initial version of Black History Month. The Association for the Study of Black Life and History, founded by this historian, aims to encourage “people of various ethnic and social backgrounds to explore the Black experience.”
His group was renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASAALH) later on, and it is now the oldest historical society dedicated to the advancement of African American history.
Why is February designated as Black History Month?
Woodson chose February as the month for the week-long commemoration because it falls on the birthdays of both former US President Abraham Lincoln and social reformer Frederick Douglass. Both men were instrumental in the abolition of slavery.
Woodson also recognised that members of the African-American community had previously commemorated the births of Douglass and Lincoln, and he wished to build on such traditions. According to the Association for the Knowledge of African American Life and History (ASAALH), “he was encouraging the public to extend their study of Black history, not to start a new tradition.”
What happened to make Black History Month a national holiday?
Black History Week was honored by mayors across the country by the late 1960s, thanks in part to the civil rights movement and a growing understanding of Black identity. On many college campuses, the event eventually grew into Black History Month.
President Gerald Ford declared February to be Black History Month in 1976. President Ford said in his speech that Americans should “seize the opportunity to commemorate the too-often overlooked accomplishments of Black Americans in every field of effort throughout our history.”
Every American president has honoured Black History Month and its goal during his term. But it wasn’t until 1986, when Congress put “National Black History Month” into law, that many people in the United States began to recognise it properly. The goal of the law was to make all Americans “conscious of our struggle for freedom and equality.”
What is the significance of Black History Month?
Initially, Black History Month was intended to educate schoolchildren and young people about the accomplishments of African-Americans and other minorities. Such tales had mostly been forgotten, yet they were an important part of the national storey.
It’s now considered as a celebration of those who, by their activism and achievements, have touched not only the country but the entire world. The month-long spotlight in February in the United States is a time for people to engage with Black histories, go beyond discussions of racism and slavery, and celebrate Black leaders and achievements.
