This February marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. Black History Month has been a time of celebration and appreciation for African Americans throughout America and the world as a whole since it was first celebrated in 1926.
“My mom talks to me about different people during Black History Month that she thinks I should know about,” sophomore Bria Mickens said. “My church also has game nights where we learn about different influential African Americans through trivia.”
Black History Month was made official by Congress in 1986 on the sixtieth anniversary. It had been celebrated as a month-long celebration many years prior to that by African American communities throughout the United States.
“We can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history,” President Gerald Ford said.
Many black families have unique ways to celebrate Black History Month and continue those traditions through their children. These families also enjoy spreading the celebration of Black History to those outside the Black community.
“I usually just cook with my family,” sophomore Talea Wheeler said, “I make mac and cheese while my mom makes a cake for our family. She usually brings some of the leftovers to her coworkers so they can take part in our celebration too.”
Black History Month was first founded by Carter G. Woodson because he believed that Black history needed to be appreciated more. Woodson had worked in education for much of his adult life but was often rejected from historical institutions because of his heritage.
“If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition,” Woodson said, “It becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”
Some people have certain Black historical figures they especially admire or are inspired by in some way because of the way they’ve promoted Black culture.
“There’s a lot of black music creators I like,” Wheeler said, “Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Tyler, The Creator are some musicians I think really bring out that agenda for us and make people appreciate Black culture more.”
There are also people that are not part of the Black community that appreciate the impact of Black History Month and important Black figures throughout history.
“I celebrate with my friends,” sophomore Sam Morgner said, “I’m really inspired by figures like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. They made such a big impact on the world and still continue to influence people now.”
As we celebrate this important anniversary of Black history, the Black figures who fought for this acknowledgement are remembered and commemorated by many people in the Black community for their efforts.
