Black History Month

Today marks the beginning of Black History Month. Its origins can be traced back to 1926 when African American historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) declared the second week of February to be "Negro History Week." This week was because it was the week of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass's birthdays, both of which had been long celebrated in Black communities. Over the years Negro History increased in popularity. It was in 1969 that both Black students and educators at Kent State University proposed that February be celebrated as Black History Month. It was first celebrated at Kent State University in 1970. Black History Month caught on, and in 1976 Gerald Ford became the first president to recognize Black History Month.

Although I have never made an official announcement that I was doing so, I have observed Black History Month on this blog for years. While I do write such posts at other times of year, each year in February I write at least one post a week devoted to African Americans in popular culture. Over the years I have written about everything from actress Theresa Harris to comic book artist Matt Baker to the legendary Cab Calloway. I intend to observe Black History on A Shroud of Thoughts again this year. With diversity, equity, and inclusion having been under increasing attack over the past few weeks, I feel that my annual observance of Black History Month has become much more important than it ever has been before. Here I want to point out that I also observe other commemorative months, such as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May and National American Indian Heritage Month in November, and I will continue to do so. It is important to me that the contributions of multiple ethnicities to American history be acknowledged, particularly given I am part Native myself. No one is ever going to convince me otherwise.