Skip to Main Content

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEIA) Resources: Black History Month

Did you know Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, was originally only a week long?

In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) announced the second week of February to be "Negro History Week," chosen specifically to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14), both of whom had enormous impacts on Black history in the United States. In February 1969, leaders of the Black United Students at Kent State University proposed the expansion of Negro History Week into Black History Month. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State a year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial.

Today, we celebrate Black History for the whole month of February in honor of the great African American leaders and their many accomplishments.

Online Resources

Books

Videos and Films