Black History Matters: Home

Black History Month was founded initially by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926. It began as a week that emerged from the existing birthday celebrations of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass by Black communities on February 12th and 14th respectively. A month of remembrance by Black Student Union organizers at Kent State University in 1969 began this now time-honored tradition. Although it was not officially recognized by the U.S. government until 1976, Black History Month has and continues to be an expression of Black autonomy and a claim to the right of self-determination.