Black people have faced countless hardships throughout history, but they did not give up at any point, and still continue to fight for themselves today. To honour their contributions to this world, Black History Month is celebrated each February. It is important to ask, why is it celebrated and how did it come to be?  

The contributions made by Black people in North America have been largely ignored throughout history. To ensure that Black Americans and Canadians get enough credit for their work, Black History Month was created. To support this, black history is increasingly being integrated into Canadian and American school curriculums. 

Black History Month did not start as a month, but a week. The credit goes to Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who was the second Black American to receive a doctorate from Harvard. He was a historian who founded “the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History” in 1912, with a goal of recognizing the contributions of African Americans have made in history. He was dedicated to spread the message of his association, and in 1926, he was successful in creating Negro History Week occuring in February. He chose February because it aligned with the birthdates of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and former President of the US Abraham Lincoln.

The Civil Rights Movement took place between 1950 and 1960, which was the struggle for gaining equal rights for black Americans. The movement highlighted the struggles of black people to others, and sparked more of an interest about the matter. In 1976, Gerald Ford became the first American President to recognize Black History Month. Later in 1986 the Congress of America created a law, designating February as Black History Month. 

The USA and Canada were built with slavery as the backbone. African-Americans have faced more problems than most can ever imagine. Even though we have made so much progress, racism is still a significant problem today. 

Works Cited

“About Black History Month.” Government of Canada, 30 Jan. 2026, www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/about.html.

Blackhistory. “The History of Black History Month – BC Black History Awareness Society.” Copyright BC Black History Awareness Society - All Rights Reserved., bcblackhistory.ca/learning-centre/black-history-month.

Biography.com Editors. “Carter G. Woodson.” Biography, 3 Feb. 2025, www.biography.com/scholars-educators/carter-g-woodson.

HISTORY.com Editors. “Civil Rights Movement: Timeline, Key Events and Leaders | HISTORY.” HISTORY, 19 Dec. 2025, www.history.com/articles/civil-rights-movement.