Black History Month 2021 - The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity

Each year February 1 marks the start of Black History Month, a federally recognized celebration of the contributions African Americans have made to this country and a time to reflect on the continued struggle for racial justice.

Carter G. Woodson, known as the "Father of Black History," developed Black History Month. Woodson, whose parents were enslaved, was an author, historian and the second African American to earn a Ph.D. at Harvard University. He recognized that the American education system offered very little information about the accomplishments of African Americans and founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

In 1926, Woodson proposed a national “Negro History Week," which was intended to showcase everything students learned about Black history throughout the school year. Woodson chose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, a famed abolitionist who escaped from slavery, and President Abraham Lincoln, who formally abolished slavery.

In 1976, during the height of the civil rights movement, President Gerald Ford expanded the week into Black History Month. Since then, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme.

The theme of Black History Month 2021 is "The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity," chosen by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. This theme explores the African diaspora, and the spread of Black families across the United States.

To celebrate Black History Month this year, the Al Harris Library is displaying books and videos that recognize the achievements and contributions of Black Americans. Please come by and check it out!