Black History Month is celebrated annually in February to highlight and celebrate African American leaders and their accomplishments.
Other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Netherlands also celebrate Black History Month.
The month first started off as "Negro History Week," coined by Carter G. Woodson and others.
September 1915, Carter G. Woodson and Minister Jesse E. Mooreland, founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.
ASNLH, now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, is an organization that focuses on researching and promoting achievements by African Americans.
The organization chose to celebrate national Negro History Week in 1926 on the second week of February because it coincided with Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass's birthday.
During the week, many schools and communities organized events to highlight the achievements of African Americans.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Negro History Week became a month long event on many college campuses.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month.
Ever since 1976, each President sets a theme for Black History Month. This year the theme is "African Americans and the Vote." This theme highlights the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave woman the right to vote. It also honors the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment, which gave African American men the right to vote.
