Lessons in Black History February 2, 2015

Every day for the month of February we will have lunch time lessons in Black History

Black History Month began as Negro History Week in 1926 when Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced that the second week of February would be Negro History Week. This week was chosen because of its proximity of the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas both of whose birthdays had been celebrate within the African American community since emancipation in the 19^th century.

Negro History week was coordinated with public school teachers to cooperatively teach black history during the week. It was not accepted as they thought it would be, only the Departments of Education of North Carolina, Delaware, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and West Virginia adopted the week’s curriculum.

The first modern Black History month was in 1976 when it became officially recognized by the federal government and ushered in by then President Gerald Ford.