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Black History Month has been officially recognized by every sitting U.S. president since 1976, but the roots of the month-long celebration actually happened several decades before. As the nation joins together to remember the droves of accomplishments made by Black people, we look back to 1915 where the roots of the celebration were first formed.
In September of 1915, historian Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), which was established to highlight and boost the myriad of weighty achievements of Black Americans and other individuals across the vast diaspora. Today, the ASNLH is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Via the ASALH website, the organization explains how Woodson began Negro History Week in 1926, and how it expanded to what we know today.
From ASALH:
In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience. ASALH views the promotion of Black History Month as one of the most important components of advancing Dr. Woodson’s legacy.
Black History Month still remains a necessary signal booster regarding the lives and legacies of Black people in America and across the globe, although it is clear that one month couldn’t begin to illustrate every instance of Black excellence over the centuries here in the states and beyond. Of course, there are moments that might come off as performative but hopefully, there exists sincerity behind moves such as this.
For the month, Hip-Hop Wired will focus a portion of its coverage towards Black History Month, honoring some of the prominent figures who have influenced or elevated the culture.
Today, in honor of the first day of Black History Month, we’ve taken a look at the #BlackHistoryMonth hashtag on Twitter and several people have provided some insight, encouraging words, and observations regarding BHM.
We’ve got those reactions listed out below.
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#BlackHistoryMonth: Black History Month Gets Proper Recognition On Twitter was originally published on hiphopwired.com