Posted: 02/09/07


Black History Month is celebrated every February in the United States and Canada, and every October in the United Kingdom.

In 1900, a woman by the name of Mary Church Terrel began the tradition of celebrating February 14; Frederick Douglass’ birthday.

Fifteen years later, a man named Carter G. Woodson witnessed the celebration begun by Terrel, and therefore created Black History Week.

Black History Week was the second week of February and was chosen not only to honor Frederick Douglass, but Abraham Lincoln as well.

Douglass and Lincoln have both greatly affected our nation’s history by fighting for equality.

Douglass was an abolitionist and gave his first speech at the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society’s annual convention at the age of 23.

Douglass was a publisher of numerous newspapers; the North Star, Frederick Douglass Weekly, Frederick Douglass’ Paper, Douglass’ Monthly, and the New National Era.

Douglass wrote a book which was published in 1845 called Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.

The book was an instant best seller and after three years, it had been reprinted nine times, and was translated into French and Dutch.

In 1863, Douglass met with Lincoln to discuss the treatment of black soldiers.

Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States and is remembered for freeing slaves.

The Emancipation Proclamation, effective the first of January in 1863, freed slaves from territories not under the Union.

However, slavery was not permanently abolished until the 13th Amendment was passed.

Then, in 1865, when Lincoln was assassinated, Douglass spoke at his memorial.

Black History Week was changed into Black History Month in 1976.

The reason the week was changed into a month was to include increased opportunities for celebration of Douglass and Lincoln.

Many people, however, believe that Black History Month should not be celebrated.

In December of 2005, actor Morgan Freeman stated on 60 Minutes, “I don’t want a Black History Month. Black History is American History.”

This year’s Black History Month theme, according to www.blackhistory.com is ‘dedicated to the struggles of peoples of African descent to achieve freedom and equality in the Americas during the age of emancipation.’