February is Black History Month, an annual tribute to generations of African Americans whose invaluable contributions to this country were achieved in the face of tremendous adversity. Originally a week-long observance created in 1926 by prominent scholar and historian Carter G. Woodson, the celebration was expanded to a month in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford, who urged Americans to: “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans.” The month-long event is celebrated in February to acknowledge the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) declared that the celebration’s theme for 2023 is “Black Resistance;” click here to learn more about current and past themes. To access relevant resources from the Library of Congress, click here. Click here for celebratory activities at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. And, finally, click on the fiction and nonfiction book jackets below to be taken to catalog links; through knowledge comes change and enlightenment.
"Black History Month…is about taking an unvarnished look at the past so we can create a better future. It’s a reminder of where we as a country have been so that we know where we need to go." President Barack Obama, 2016