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Q. Who founded Black History Month, and why is it celebrated in February?

A. Black History Month began with Harvard trained historian Carter G. Woodson, who believed that young Black people were not being taught enough of their own heritage, and he wanted to do something in the spirit of celebrating Black history. In 1915, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

According to History. com, Woodson and the ASALH “sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs, and host performances and lectures.”

Black History Week continued to be celebrated throughout much of the United States for many decades after, but it was not until Feb. 3, 1975 that it was recognized nationally by President Gerald R. Ford.

The following year in 1976, the ASALH expanded Black History Week to Black History Month, which was recognized by President Ford with a statement urging Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme chosen by the ASALH. This year’s theme is “Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.”