How Did Black History Month Come To Be?

By: Pablo Gonzalez

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  Black History Month started with Carter G. Woodson. In 1915, the state of Illinois sponsored a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation. Woodson, along with friends and thousands of African Americans from across the nation, attended “exhibits highlighting the progress their people had made since the destruction of slavery.” Three years before Woodson joined the other exhibitors with displaying black history. This was held at the Coliseum, the site of the 1912 Republican convention, over 6 to 12 thousand people waited for their turn to view the exhibits. Woodson, inspired by the three week celebration, decided to form an organization to promote the scientific study of black life. On September 9, 1915 he, Wabash YMCA, and 3 more others formed an association for the Study of Nergo Life And History (ASNLH). In 1916 Woodson published “The Juornal of Negro History” which is about the researching, documenting, history, and culture about African descent. In 1924 Omega Psi Phi, “he urged his fraternity brothers to take up the work.” So they created Negro History and Literature Week which they later on changed the name to Negro Achievement Week. Woodson in February, 1926 had sent a press release announcing Negro History Week. It is said that Woodson picked the month February because of the celebration of the two great American men that helped shape black history, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In 1937, Woodson established Negro History Bulletin which it focused on the annual theme. As the African American population grew so did the popularity of Nergo History Bulletin that cities like Syracuse progressive whites joined. In the 1940s, efforts began in the black community to expand the study of black history in schools. In the 1960s there was a huge effect on the celebration and study of black history. Before that decade was over Nergo History Week was on its way to becoming Black History Month. In 1976, the Association used its influence to institutionalize the week to a month and also changed the name from Nergo History week to Black History Month.