People across the United States and Canada are observing Black History Month. Following this, they are pouring Twitter with tweets with the hashtag Black History Month making other users curious about its meaning. Why do people observe February as the black history month and what does it signify? We have got you all the information here.
Although February as a whole is the black history month, the last days of this month are crucial. In the last days of this month, users across USA and Canada will remember and honor the sacrifices of the American African community.
Alongside USA and Canada, Black History Month receives honor in several other countries including the United Kingdom and Ireland. But what does February have to do with the black history? Well, there is a specific reason and we have penned it down here.
Why Do People Celebrate Black History Month?
Black History Month is recognized following the efforts of American historian Carter G. Woodson. His efforts with his college fraternity, Omega Psi Phi made Feb a pivotal month for this specific celebration.
In the year 1924, Cater and Omega introduced the Black History and Literature Week after several years of efforts in the field of African American studies.
The black history week began in Feb 1926 following the efforts of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
According to the historic reports, some communities had started observing February as Black History Month in 1940.
As far as the official observation of this event is concerned, the association started by Carter declared Feb as Black History Month in the year 1976. Till 1976, the event had amassed enough momentum.
Now, why February is dedicated to Black History Month? You will find the details in the next paragraph.
Why Is February Observed As Black History Month?
February is referred to as Black History Month because it is the birth month of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. Both these legends are born on February 12 and February 14 respectively.
On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation thus declaring freedom to all the slaves. On the other hand, Frederick is the hero of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts in the year 1880.
The meaning of Black History Month is to celebrate the heroes and recognize their efforts and enable people to learn about the community’s past.
‘Carter’ is popular among the people as the father of black history. He also was a famous historian, author, and journalist. Cater also was among the very few people who studied American diaspora and African American history.
CARTER G. WOODSON devoted all his life to studying African American history. During his career, he amassed several publications and artifacts. He left the world in the year 1950 while he was 74 years old.
Here is how Twitter users are remembering the month this year:
One user wrote, “Sharing this well before #BlackHistoryMonth because our sense of humanity is worth more than a month. Shoutout to teachers who use #BlackHistoryMonth as an opportunity to not just teach us about history, but a responsibility to stress the gravity and evil of slavery”.
Remembering the legends Barack Obama wrote, “Jackie Robinson changed baseball, and paved the way for so many others who would follow. As we celebrate his birthday and the start of Black History Month, we honor Jackie’s courage and recognize his incredible legacy.”
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The Last Words
This was all about the meaning of Black History Month and the reasons why February relates to this event. Hopefully, you have found all the details you were looking for.