Black History Month: Putting Myths to Rest

There are many misconceptions regarding the origins of Black History Month. While there are many laments about the timing of the event and its length, introducing a few simple facts into the conversation will go a long way in clarifying misperceptions. Contrary to popular belief, Black History Month was not initiated by majoritarian communities as a means of marginalizing African Americans or placed in February because it was the shortest month of the year. Black History Month began as Black History Week in 1926. Carter G. Woodson, the second African American to receive a Ph.D. in History from Harvard University and the founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, established the observance as a means of informing Americans of the many achievements of African Americans. February was a logical choice for the celebration because it featured the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, widely viewed as the Great Emancipator, and Frederick Douglass, the most prominent African American in the nineteenth century. Black History Week become Black History Month in 1980.