Origin of Black History Month

Today, the last day of February, we’re going to give credit where credit is due. The origin of Black History Month. Q: Who started it? A: Carter Woodson. Woodson was a major American historian living and working during the first half of the 20th century. He founded the predecessor to the Journal of African American History, one of the most prestigious history journals in America. In February of 1926, he launched “Negro History Week,” the predecessor to Black History Month. (No, he didn’t choose February because it’s the shortest month; Woodson chose February because Lincoln and Douglass had birthdays in February.)

Woodson is Black. Did you think Black History Month was a newfangled thing? Did you assume liberal white folks generously established the month for the benefit of Black folk? We did not. This almost unacknowledged assumption—white folks have done it all—runs through our American history and psyches. As Woodson said, “Race prejudice is merely the logical result of tradition, the inevitable outcome of thorough instruction to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind.”

Woodson created the predecessor to Black History Month because of discrimination. American history was being told by white people for white people focused on white people. Today, federal agencies are barring Black History month. Institutions are steady erasing contributions of Black Americans from websites. Do you believe for one second these same people will scour websites to make sure they recognize the contributions of Black Americans in the general history?

We must fight the lying tradition Woodson described. America cannot place all honor on European males (the arrogance is staggering). We can no more tell American history while excluding contributions of Black Americans than we can tell American history excluding the contributions of white Americans. If you think this recognition will take place naturally with white people in charge, more power to you.

ps, if you think maybe the focus on Black folks does discriminate against white folks, peruse this. The racism that led to the origin of Black History Month is, unfortunately, still healthy in America. We won’t fix that by stoppering all conversation about who contributed to making America great in the first place.

Thus ends my 2025 posts on Black History Month which have described how famous Black Americans have shaped my life. Thank you for reading and joining me on this journey!