Saturday signals the beginning of Black History Month, a period dedicated to honoring Black individuals and their experiences.

While Black History Month has been celebrated for years, many might not know the story of how this important observance started.

The roots of this celebration trace back to Carter G. Woodson, a scholar who established the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) in 1915 with the goal of studying, preserving, and sharing knowledge about Black life.

Greg Carr, an associate professor in the Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C., noted that Woodson founded the organization while he was pursuing his graduate studies.

In February 1926, Woodson initiated Negro History Week. Due to a push from college students and faculty for an expanded celebration, it later transformed into the Black History Month we observe today.

The Origins of Black History Month: Why February?

Woodson, who hailed from Virginia, was a trailblazer. He was the second African American to earn a PhD from Harvard and the very first one who was born to enslaved parents, as explained by Carr.

Woodson became an honorary member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity on February 10, 1917, and in 1924, members of this fraternity started the Negro History and Literature Week, Carr explained.

“Dr. Woodson utilized his fraternity membership and his desire to connect our history with our communities,” Carr remarked. “He enlisted the Omegas to assist him in launching what he called Negro History Week, which arose a few years later.”

Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week to align it with the birthdays of prominent figures: Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and Frederick Douglass, celebrated on February 14.

Calls for Extension from Students at Both Black and White Colleges

Woodson is honored as the “Father of Black History,” according to ASALH. He passed away from a heart attack in 1950, but his legacy lived on as community members advocated for the continuation of the celebrations he had started. The idea of Black History Month gained momentum during the Black Power movement in the 1960s, Carr noted.

Students at colleges such as Howard University, Tuskegee University in Alabama, and Kent State University in Ohio campaigned for a broader curriculum that included African American and global Black history and cultural studies, he explained.

“At Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) like Howard and Tuskegee, students wanted the entire institution to focus on Black history and culture,” he said. “Meanwhile, students and some faculty on predominantly white campuses like Kent State called for the elevation and extension of (Negro History Week).”

At Kent State University, a student organization called Black United Students (BUS) advocated for extending the celebration to the entire month of February.

The first official observance of Black History Month occurred at Kent State in 1970, according to the university. It later gained recognition as the birthplace of Black History Month.

On February 10, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford acknowledged Black History Month, as noted by the National Archives. A decade later, President Ronald Reagan recognized it through Proclamation 5443, designating National Black (Afro-American) History Month in 1986.

‘History Had Me Glued to the Seat’

In his efforts to ensure a complete representation of African American history, Woodson brought together scholars from various fields to establish ASALH, including historians, sociologists, and political scientists, as highlighted by Cassandra Newby-Alexander, who founded the Joseph Jenkins Roberts Center for African Diaspora Studies at Norfolk State University in Virginia.

“She noted that textbooks often depicted individuals who were enslaved in misleading ways, portraying them as ‘servants’ or members of the family and fostering unrealistic narratives about Black people’s connections with white people. He sought to correct that narrative, ensuring the authentic history was available for younger generations.”

In the 1930s, Woodson also created educational materials about Negro History Week, as Carr noted. The ASALH would supply kits to educators, containing pictures, lesson plans, plays, and posters highlighting important dates and influential figures, according to Harvard University.

One student, Claudette Colvin, was studying history in high school, and that education greatly influenced her pivotal decision, Carr recounted.

On March 2, 1955, just 15 years old and attending Booker T. Washington High School in Montgomery, Alabama, Colvin was on a bus when white passengers boarded. Legally, she was required to vacate her seat for them in the back section, known as “no man’s land,” where she and three other Black passengers were seated. When asked to stand up, while the others complied, Colvin remained seated.

“I felt as though Harriet Tubman was pushing me down on one side and Sojourner Truth was pushing me down on the other,” she recalled. “So, history had me glued to the seat. That’s why I couldn’t move.”

As a result, Colvin was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, assault, and breaching segregation laws. Activists rallied on her behalf, but she was found guilty during her initial trial.

Upon appeal, the judge dismissed the disorderly conduct and segregation charges, but the assault charge remained on her record. She was placed on indefinite probation until 2021 when her record was expunged by a Montgomery Juvenile Court judge, almost 67 years after her arrest.

‘We Should Emphasize Not Negro History, But the Negro in History’

The “Negro History Bulletin” was a newsletter published by Woodson’s organization, ASALH. In March 1950, Woodson posthumously shared an article outlining ways for community members to celebrate Negro History Week, as Carr elaborated.

In his article, Woodson expressed that speakers invited during Negro History Week often stuck to traditional discussions about racial issues and their potential solutions, but such topics only scratched the surface of the conversation.

He viewed Negro History Week as a chance for people to share insights gathered throughout the rest of the year, Carr stated.

Newby-Alexander added that for many, Negro History Week initiated ongoing discussions about celebrating in the community year-round.

“If a principal was really committed, students could see various activities and events prominently featuring Black heroes, along with lessons about significant African American events throughout U.S. history,” she explained. “Such recognition was rare in most non-Black school systems.”

In a previous 1943 writing, Woodson articulated that “what we need is not a history focused on select races or nations, but a world history free from national bias, racial hatred, and religious intolerance.”

“We should highlight not only Negro History, but the Negro’s role in history,” he stated.

Contributing: Brian Lyman, The Montgomery Advertiser

Saleen Martin is a reporter from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757.