Why Does Black History Month Take Place in February?

by Georgia Alton

Overview

Black History Month began in 1926 as "Negro History Week," a one-week celebration of African-American accomplishment and history.
Origin

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an African-American scholar whose parents had been slaves, came up with the idea of celebrating African-American history and accomplishment. He chose the second week of February because two individuals important to African-American history, Frederick Douglass (an escaped slave who became a prominent abolitionist and writer in the mid-1800s) and President Abraham Lincoln, were born during that week.

Significance

Woodson envisioned the week as a way to educate Americans about black history, which was a neglected field at that time. He provided educators with materials about black history, such as stories about prominent African-Americans.
Development

In 1976 when the United States was celebrating its bicentennial, President Jimmy Carter extended the weeklong celebration to the entire month of February.
Considerations

Woodson did many things to further black history, including writing a prominent textbook and founding a journal dedicated to the field. According to Neil Baldwin in "The American Revelation: Ten Ideals that Shaped Our Country from the Puritans to the Cold War," African-American historian W.E.B. Du Bois said Woodson's most impressive accomplishment was "Negro History Week."
Other Countries

Great Britain's annual Black History Month, first observed in 1987, occurs in October. In 1995 Canada began its own Black History Month commemoration, which is in February every year.