Photo: [cityofsouthfield.com] 

Sanjana Bhawnani

A&E Editor

Svb6108@psu.edu

The first account and recognition of Black History Month in the U.S. took place from January 2nd to February 28th  in 1970. This time is celebrated in order to honor and remember the events of the African Diaspora,  to celebrate the achievements of African-Americans, and lastly to recognize their central role in U.S. history. The aforementioned are also recognized worldwide in various parts of the world, this includes The United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands observe this time in October. 

It all began in 1915 after the abolishment of slavery in the 13th Amendment. Several years after a group, now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), chose the second week of February to celebrate national African-American history week. This led to schools and other groups nationwide to organize local celebrations, performances, etc. More specifically, the events were hosted in order to remember the time of the African Diaspora. African Diaspora is a term used to describe the dispersal of Western and Central African people to different parts of America and the Caribbean. 

Decades after the ASALH started the movement, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976. He publicly announced that individuals must “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

As expected, there were some important controversies and concerns surrounding Black History Month when first established. Some of the issues and ideas ranged from people believing that Black History Month was only limited to academic institutions while others believed that the event would reduce the value and importance of complex historical figures to simplified objects of “hero worship.”

In fact, some people also referred to the celebration as a form of racism. Renowned actor and director Morgan Freeman once criticized the concept of a Black History Month. He believed that “Black History is American History” and should be something that people celebrated year round. 

Today, having moved onto further acceptance, Instagram as well as several other platforms have developed their own ways to celebrate Black History Month. 

In 2018, Instagram created a program that featured a series of initiatives devoted to Black History Month. Some examples include #BlackGirlMagic and #CelebrateBlackCreators. The following initiatives have millions of followers today, taking the focus beyond schools. It also garnered attention from the U.S. business community, and the 2020 February Forbes edition announced that many companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, Google, Macy’s, and Under Armour.

Lastly, maintaining the recurring idea of having a theme, the Black History Month 2021 theme is “Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.” This further explores the events of the African Diaspora and the distribution of Black families across the United States. It brings about a tear jerking sensation to see how different communities are commemorating Black History Month. 

Some virtual events to tune into this month are The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) virtual conversations and online events. Make sure to research and register to look for ways to educate yourselves if interested.