Americans everywhere, regardless of race, recognize February as Black History Month. However, not many people know why February is Black History Month rather than any of the other 11 months on the calendar.
According to knoxnews.com, the recognition of African American history started in February of 1926 when the second week of February was named “Negro History Week.” In 1976, Negro History Week turned into Black History Month, which is still recognized today.
Some people may ask why February in particular is considered Black History Month. The answer lies in the connections that various dates in history have to the month of February. On February 14, 1817, Frederick Douglass, one of the most prominent figures in African American history, was born. On February 12, 1909, the NAACP was founded in Springfield, Illinois, after a riot took place. On February 13, 1920, Andrew Foster organized the Negro League, which was the first baseball league in which African Americans could participate. Nelson Mandela was released from prison in February of 1990 after 27 years of imprisonment.
In more recent news, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander introduced President Barack Obama at the inauguration with a quote from the late Alex Haley, author of Roots, who, coincidentally, died on February 10, 1992. Haley’s motto, according to Alexander, was, “Find the good and praise it.” For an inauguration, a quote like that is quite appropriate.
The important thing, though, is to not look at February as the only month to celebrate African American history. Certain people, most notably Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman, criticize the fact that there is merely a month dedicated to recognizing African American history. “You’re going to relegate my history to a month? I don’t want a black history month. Black history is American history,” Freeman was noted for saying in a December 2005 article on TODAY.com.
Overall, having a time to recognize African American history is an important thing in society. It is important, however, that we do not marginalize the impact that African Americans have made to American history as a whole. African American history should be celebrated throughout the entire year and should not be limited to one month out of the year.