Why is Black History Month in February? Who started it? And why does it still matter today? 🤔 Join Xynara & Vort as they take a fun, thought-provoking deep dive into the history of Black History Month, its origins with Carter G. Woodson, and the impact it has today!

🔍 What You’ll Learn: ✔️ The real reason Black History Month is in February 📅 ✔️ How Carter G. Woodson fought to preserve Black history 📖 ✔️ Why this observance expanded from a week to a month ✔️ Global celebrations of Black History Month 🌍 ✔️ Common controversies & debates about the event

📢 Let’s keep the conversation going! Comment below: What does Black History Month mean to you? 🖤👇

Transcript

XYNARA: VORT, I have a joke for you. Prepare yourself.

VORT: I am always prepared for any eventuality, though in this case, I am prepared for your joke to fall flat. Proceed.

XYNARA: Why did the historian bring a ladder to Black History Month?

VORT: Given that ladders are used for height-based access, I would hypothesize—

XYNARA: Because they wanted to reach new heights of knowledge!

VORT: That is… an adequate pun.

XYNARA: Adequate? VORT, that joke was structurally sound and thematically relevant! A perfect blend of wit and wisdom!

VORT: I assume this is your segue into discussing the history of Black History Month.

XYNARA: Bingo, my metal friend! Now tell me, how did this grand observance begin? Was it a cosmic decree? A revelation scrawled upon the stars?

VORT: No. It was the work of a historian named Carter G. Woodson.

XYNARA: A seeker of forgotten knowledge! Tell me everything.

Origins: Carter G. Woodson and Negro History Week

VORT: Carter G. Woodson, often called the “Father of Black History,” was a historian, author, and the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. In 1926, he launched “Negro History Week” to bring awareness to African American achievements, which were largely omitted from mainstream historical narratives.

XYNARA: Ah! A scholar who understood that history is like a great cosmic tapestry, woven together from many threads, yet some had been hidden in the shadows! Why February, though? Was it a secret message written in the stars? A hidden alchemy of dates?

VORT: Not alchemy… Woodson chose February because it coincided with the birthdays of two key historical figures: Frederick Douglass, a formerly enslaved man turned abolitionist and orator, and Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. president who issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

XYNARA: Aha! So it was not the stars, nor the fact that it is the shortest month, but the weight of memory and tribute! He anchored the week in time, binding it to figures of great change! And what happened next? Did the week grow, evolve, transcend?

VORT: Yes, but it took several decades. Negro History Week was gradually embraced by schools, organizations, and activists, spreading beyond academic circles into public consciousness.

XYNARA: Like an ember that refuses to go cold, waiting for the right winds to turn it into a flame!

The Expansion into Black History Month

VORT: By the late 1960s, during the Civil Rights Movement and the rise of Black consciousness, many educators and activists called for an expansion of Negro History Week into a full month.

XYNARA: Of course! A week is but a blink in the grand flow of time! A single heartbeat when a drumbeat was needed!

VORT: Indeed. In 1976, as part of the United States Bicentennial, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, urging Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

XYNARA: And thus, the ember became an inferno! A month dedicated to revelation, to remembrance, to re-stitching the missing pieces of the narrative!

VORT: Since then, Black History Month has been observed annually, not just in the United States, but also in Canada, the United Kingdom, and other nations.

XYNARA: Tell me, does it have a theme? A guiding star each year? Or is it a free cosmos of remembrance?

VORT: It does, in fact, have a theme. Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)—the organization founded by Woodson—chooses a theme to highlight specific aspects of Black history and culture.

XYNARA: What kind of themes have graced this observance?

VORT: They have ranged from “Black Health and Wellness” to “African Americans and the Arts,” each designed to encourage focused reflection and education.

XYNARA: Beautiful! Like choosing a different constellation to navigate by each year!

The Global Reach and Modern Impact

XYNARA: You mentioned other nations—does this observance travel beyond the United States?

VORT: Yes. In Canada, Black History Month was officially recognized in 1995. In the United Kingdom, it has been celebrated since 1987, though it occurs in October rather than February. Other nations, such as Ireland and Germany, have also begun their own observances.

XYNARA: A movement rippling outward, touching shores unknown! Does it face resistance, VORT? Do the shadows still try to swallow the light?

VORT: At times, yes. There are ongoing debates about whether Black history should be confined to one month or fully integrated into historical education year-round. Others argue that the focus on history should not overshadow present-day systemic issues. Then, there is a different type of controversy.

Controversy

XYNARA: So, VORT, tell me—what possible controversy could exist around a month dedicated to honoring a history that was deliberately erased, buried, and ignored for centuries?

VORT: Ah, you must be referring to the occasional and uninformed arguments against Black History Month.

XYNARA: Yes! The ones where someone, inevitably, says: “But why isn’t there a White History Month?”

VORT: An unsound argument I believe you’ll find.

XYNARA: Precisely! History as it is commonly taught is already dominated by white narratives. If one requires proof, they need only look at how often figures like Harriet Tubman, Benjamin Banneker, or Claudette Colvin are omitted from standard curriculums while we cycle through the same handful of European monarchs over and over again.

VORT: Indeed. Black History Month exists not because Black history is separate, but because it has been systematically excluded from the mainstream historical record. Its existence is a corrective measure, ensuring that Black contributions to society, science, art, and culture are given the recognition they deserve.

XYNARA: And yet, some still insist that recognizing Black history for a single month is “divisive,” as if acknowledging reality is some kind of cosmic heresy!

VORT: Some critics argue that Black history should not be confined to a single month but integrated into education year-round.

XYNARA: Which is actually a fair point—except that most of the people making that argument aren’t the ones pushing for a better, more inclusive curriculum the other eleven months of the year.

VORT: Correct. Woodson himself never intended for Black History Month to be the only time Black history was taught. He envisioned it as a gateway—an opening for more comprehensive inclusion.

XYNARA: But instead of expanding historical education, some people would rather complain about a month of focused learning as if it somehow negates the other 337 days of Eurocentric history they receive.

VORT: Logically, if history were truly taught in a balanced and inclusive manner, there would be no need for a separate observance. However, since history has been—and often still is—taught with glaring omissions, Black History Month remains vital.

XYNARA: VORT, my dear mechanical sage, it is as I always say: Those who protest the loudest about “divisiveness” are often the ones most invested in maintaining an incomplete narrative.

VORT: A perceptive observation. And one supported by historical patterns.

XYNARA: So! The conclusion? Black History Month is necessary until it is no longer necessary. And that day will only come when history is told in full, without erasure or bias.

VORT: A reasonable summation. Until then, shining a light on the untold stories must continue—both within this month and beyond.

XYNARA: And if anyone still insists on a White History Month, we shall simply remind them that it has been running uninterrupted for centuries.

VORT: Efficiently stated.

Outro

XYNARA: Ah, the eternal struggle between remembrance and action, past and future. The dance of history!

VORT: Here is a quote from Carter G. Woodson himself that I believe sums up the importance of the observance well: “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

XYNARA: A powerful truth! To know where we have been is to better see where we are going! Come, VORT! Let us continue our quest for knowledge!