Phoebe Lawton ‘27
Each February, people all around the world celebrate Black History Month to honor the achievements, advancements, and contributions of Black and African individuals throughout history. The observance originates from the United States in a period following the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, and although many are well aware of the injustices faced and overcome by those of African descent in our country, the exact circumstances of its celebration are not widely taught.
The History of Black History Month
In the summer of 1915, Carter G. Woodson traveled from his home in Chicago, Illinois to Washington D.C. to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the emancipation of the enslaved following the American Civil War. The celebration, lasting three weeks, was attended by thousands of African Americans from across the country and was full of presentations and exhibits on the advancements that had been made since slavery’s official abolition.
While there, Woodson gathered many of four of his peers who were also deeply impacted by the event to form Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, or ASALH. Today ASALH is credited with the formation of Black History Month, but the observance took a few different forms and names before it became what we know it as today; in 1924, Woodson and a few of his former colleagues from his time at the University of Chicago crafted Negro History and Literature week, which was renamed Negro Achievement Week, and later Negro History week in February of 1926.
February was chosen specifically because of the coinciding birthdays of two significant figures in Black history: Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln. Woodson was able to honor the successes and acknowledge the shortcomings of these predecessors by uplifting the efforts of currently active members of the Black community. Throughout the rest of his life, Woodson promoted these beliefs and advocated for the expansion of Negro History week, which eventually came to fruition in the 1960s.
During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, the entire nation was swept up in the tide of the quest for Black and African American Liberation. Negro History Week was extended to Negro History Month through the efforts of Civil Rights leaders, such as Fredrick H. Hammurabi. Finally becoming known as Black History Month (BHM), the mobilization was quickly adopted by college students, Black and non-Black alike, across the country like so many other social movements of the decade.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford became the first to officially recognize February as Black History Month, setting a precedent that every president who came after would follow. Today, we continue to honor the efforts and achievements of so many prominent Black and African American leaders, like Carter G. Woodson.
How is Gordon Celebrating BHM?
Understanding the foundations of Black History Month is key to participating in its celebration, so how are Gordon students choosing to do just that? Many organizations and clubs on campus host events centered around different aspects of BHM, two of which being our Black Student Union, AFRO Hamwe, and our African Student Union, ASU. Both of these groups have a vibrant array of activities planned for students across campus to participate in, bringing people together over food, family, history, and the bright future shared by Black and African individuals everywhere.
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