Black History Month: Home

Black History Month began over a century ago when historian Dr. Carter G. Wilson proposed the creation of a week-long observance of the undeniably important contributions African Americans have made to society (the group he founded, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, continues to promote an annual theme for Black History Month). In the late 1970s, President Gerald Ford officially commemorated Black History Week, and subsequently Black History Month. Congress in 1986 would pass a law that designated February as "National Black History Month," with President Ronald Reagan issuing the first Presidential Proclamation on the celebration.