Black History Month

Essays | Nithya Kunta | Feb 1st, 2022.

Black History Month commemorates the contributions and sacrifices that African Americans have made throughout history, aiming to honor Black heritage, achievements, and even hardships. Every year, Black History Month highlights a specific theme for the public to focus on. This year’s theme is “Black Health and Wellness,” which not only celebrates Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine but also other workers in different forms of medicine throughout the African diaspora. The theme of medicine and healthcare is especially important as the COVID pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color and Black healthcare providers.


In 1926, Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black history, first set out to designate a period of time in which Americans would promote and educate people about Black history and culture. He and Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. ASNLH initiated Negro History Week, which fell on the second week of February because it includes the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two influential leaders in the abolitionist movement to end slavery. During this week, schools and communities across the nation held celebrations, created history clubs, and hosted performances and lectures. 50 years later, Negro History Week officially expanded into Black History Month, primarily because of Civil Rights protests against racial injustice and inequality. 


How can you celebrate Black History?