My friend’s elementary-aged son, who is Black, mentioned in class that it seemed odd that Black History month was assigned the shortest month of the year. His teacher, who is white, told him that she doesn’t really place an emphasis on Black History Month because she celebrates the history of Black people every day.
Her short-sightedness and lack of awareness left my friend’s son quite confused, and, no doubt, a few of his classmates as well.
This isn’t the first time this question has been asked. I’m sure you may have or will hear it at some point coming from the mouths of your own children. And when it happens, you will need to have an answer to that question. But not just any answer, a truthful one.
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The Truth about Black History Month
The truthful answer is that the contributions of white people in history are acknowledged and celebrated every day in this country.
The reason why a special month is set aside for the contributions of Black people, or any other race, is that, for too long, another race’s contributions and achievements in this country have been cast aside, and in some cases, intentionally left out.
Outside of a few “token” figures, there are many notable Black men and women who made significant advances and contributions that are left out of our history books. There are still school districts in this country that allow parents to opt their kids out of Black history curriculum. It is disheartening because the history of Black achievements and contributions, past and present, is American history. Black History Month should be and needs to be recognized and celebrated.
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What Is Black History Month?
Black History Month began in 1915, half a century after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in America. Carter G. Woodson, a Black Harvard historian, along with colleague and friend Jesse E. Moorland formed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), and sponsored National Negro History Week to be celebrated the second week of February.
They specifically chose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The week would be dedicated to promoting the achievements and contributions of Black Americans and other persons of African descent in American history.
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It was decades later, thanks to the efforts of the Civil Rights Movement, that Negro History Week evolved into Black History Month. As interest in Black identity and culture grew, Black History Month was acknowledged on college campuses first, and then spread further.
President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month nationally in 1976. He urged the American public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Why Celebrate Black History Month
We celebrate Black History Month because, simply, the history of Black achievement and contributions IS in fact American history.
Black History Month gives us the opportunity to appreciate and, in a way, show gratitude to Black Americans, living or past, who have enriched our lives through their hard work, talent, courage, and determination to thrive in an environment that didn’t always provide the opportunity to do so.
Unfortunately, these achievements and contributions have been, in some cases, intentionally left out of our education systems and history books. And because some do not accept the fact that Black achievements and contributions are worth recognizing every day, a special time period to do so had to be established.
Black History Month is a time to learn about the history of the Black community, beyond slavery and the Civil Rights movement. Black Americans, past and present, have made amazing contributions in music, fine arts, the sciences, medicine, inventions, literature, education, and more — contributions that have greatly improved the quality of life for all of us in numerous ways.
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Black History Month 2025 Theme
Since President Ford’s recognition of Black History Month in 1976, every American President since has designated February as Black History Month and has endorsed a theme. This year’s theme is African Americans and Labor.
- Representation: ASALH clearly illustrates how work and labor are an integral part of the history of Black Americans. Black Americans were captured and enslaved for their knowledge and to be used as a workforce in America. Black Americans’ labor and work transformed the United States, a country that did not value Black life and still struggles to embody equality, especially when it comes to work and labor.
- Identity: Free and unfree, paid and unpaid, skilled and unskilled, trained and voluntary, work is tied to the culture and identity of Black Americans. Consider the Black figures in the workforce as well as in community building and social justice activism. The work Black people do and have done has shaped the lives, culture, and history of Black people and the societies in which they live.
- Achievements: This year marks the 100 year anniversary of the creation of the first Black union. Labor organizer A. Philip Randolph created the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids. He marched on Washington for economic justice, and influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. to fight for Black Americans to be seen and considered as full citizens entitled to the same rights as White Americans. The work of laborers like Randolph has made the workforce a safer, equitable, and more equal place for Black Americans. Black labor continues to fight for job security, reproductive rights, and wage increases.
Celebrate Black History Month
During this month I encourage you to expand your knowledge of more Black figures who labored for equality, for his or her community, for Black Americans, for the nation as a whole.
- Research Black figures in politics, literature, art, music, and more.
- Widen your social circles, and engage with other moms who may not look like you.
- Let go of any preconceived notions or negative stereotypes you may have picked up or society may have provided.
- Recognize and celebrate the achievements of the Black lives that are part of your local community, places of worship, and your workplaces.
My hope and prayer is that in the near future there will be no need for special months to celebrate other races’ contributions and achievements. There will be no need for the question “Why celebrate Black History Month?” every February. There will be no need, because Black history will truly be recognized as American history, not only in words but in action. This may not happen in my lifetime, but I hope and pray for my children’s generation. Until that time comes, we continue to recognize, honor, and celebrate Black History Month and the contributions of Black Americans.
