About This Episode
What is Black history month, and why do we celebrate it?
Also known as African-American History Month, its an observance originating in the United States. Created in 1926, the idea of Negro History week, was observed during the second week of February. The reason to choose the second week, because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on Feb 12th and of Fredrick Douglas on February 20th.
Black History Month was first proposed by black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970.
When first established, Black History Month resulted in some controversy. Those who believed that Black History Month was limited to educational institutions questioned whether it was appropriate to confine the celebration of Black history to one month, as opposed to integration of black history into the mainstream education the rest of the year.
Edited: Western Europeans*
Reference:
Derrick Bell, "Brown v. Board of Education and the Black History Month Syndrome," Harvard Blackletter Law Journal, vol. 1, no. 1 (1984) p. 13.
C. G. Woodson, "Negro History Week," Journal of Negro History, vol. 11, no. 2 (April 1926), pp. 238–242.
Music: Black Boy
Song by Swoope
