Do you know the ish behind Black History Month?

Black History Month has been celebrated annually in the United States and Canada since 1975, when President Ford issued a Message on the Observance of Black History Week. In 1986 Congress passed Public Law 99-244 which designated February 1986 as "National Black (Afro-American) History Month.” During this time, President Reagan issued Presidential Proclamation 5443 which stated “the foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity.” and that February was a time “to celebrate the many achievements of African Americans in every field from science and the arts to politics and religion."

But many do not know that Black History Month actually started as a week that was established by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a historian and author. In 1915, Dr Woodson, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and eleven years later Dr. Carter started the first Negro History Week in February 1926.

In January 1996, President Clinton issued Presidential Proclamation 6863 for "National African-American History Month." The theme for that year was to honor the achievements of black women from Sojourner Truth to Mary McLeod Bethune and Toni Morrison. On February 1, 2011 President Obama issued a Proclamation reflecting on this year’s theme of “African Americans and the Civil War” as we remember the 150 years since the beginning of the Civil War.