Black history is American history, and though we pay special attention to the significant achievements and contributions Black Americans and people of African descent have made to this country during February, learning and honoring Black history is absolutely of year-round importance.
"Black History Month shouldn't be treated as though it is somehow separate from our collective American history,” said President Barack Obama in 2016. “It's about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America.”
History of Black History Month
Black History Month’s roots started in 1915 — half a century after slavery was abolished — when scholar Carter G. Woodson co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. He urged other Black scholars and civic organizations to promote their community’s achievements, and out of that motivation the Association sponsored Negro History Week in the second week of February 1926.
By the late 1960s, Woodson’s concept was expanded into what we now recognize as Black History Month, officially recognized by President Gerald R. Ford during the 1976 bicentennial.
Why February
Woodson, considered the “father of Black history,” chose February to coincide with the birthdays of former slave and prominent abolitionist Frederick Douglass (believed to be Feb.14) and President Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12), who was influential in the emancipation of slaves. Woodson also chose this week out of tradition, as Black communities had already been honoring these two birthdays during the second week of the month.
This Year’s Theme
The 2024 theme is “African Americans and the Arts,” in recognition of the paramount influence of Black artists, artworks, and movements, and to highlight “the richness of the past and present with an eye towards what the rest of the 21st century will bring,” according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
Ways to Celebrate in Madison
There are plenty of local events happening around Madison to honor Black History Month. Here are a few to check out.
- “Leaders of Madison’s Black Renaissance” screening at The Fitchburg Senior Center
- Films, stories, and more at the Madison Public library
- A Chronicle of Black Student Connection at UW-Madison at the Red Gym
- “Malcolm X” screening at Central Library
- Speakers, FILs, and more across the UW-Madison campus
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