Manchester City Library

“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”
―Carter G. Woodson

Have you ever wondered why black history month is celebrated in the shortest month of the year? The answer is simply two important birthdays in February – Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. President Lincoln is revered for freeing enslaved Americans, and Douglass for his significant abolition work.

Black History Month began nearly 100 years ago as ‘Negro History Week’ – a concept devised by Harvard educated historian Carter G. Woodson and his organization, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) [now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASAALH)]. He hoped to raise awareness of Black American’s contributions and accomplishments, and for their history to be included and recognized all year long (Morris, 2017). Throughout the course of his education, obtaining two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree, and a doctorate, Woodson found that Black Americans were either absent from history books, or misrepresented. Woodson sought to correct this and founded ASNLH in 1915, and in 1926 they created a week-long celebration around two dates already commemorated within the Black community – Lincoln’s birthday on February 12, and Douglass’ birthday on February 14.

This celebration grew to a whole month in 1976 at the bicentennial anniversary of the founding of the United States. At the suggestion of ASAALH, President Gerald Ford issued a presidential message on February 10, 1976, encouraging Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history” (Ford, 1976). Since then, Black History Month has been celebrated in schools, libraries, and many other institutions across the country and brought awareness to the untold or under recognized histories of Black Americans and their impact on our society.

As Woodson originally intended, Black history has been incorporated into US history books as appropriate and accurately as possible. To celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans, the library has several displays this month to honor Black History Month:

Rotunda Black History Month display: https://discover.manchesterlibrary.org/MyAccount/MyList/4333

Historical fiction: https://discover.manchesterlibrary.org/MyAccount/MyList/4888

Jazz Music: https://discover.manchesterlibrary.org/MyAccount/MyList/6078

References:

Ford, Gerald R., Jr., Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Gerald R. Ford, Jr., Book 1. Washington, DC: Government Publishing Office, 1976. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PPP-1976-book1

Morris, Burnis R. Carter G. Woodson: History, the Black Press, and Public Relations (University Press of Mississippi) 2017.

Scott, Daryl Michael. Howard University, for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, https://blackhistorymonth.gov/About.html. Accessed Feb. 7, 2025.