"No man knows what he can do until he tries," Carter G. Woodson - the man responsible for Black History Month - wrote in 1933. The son of former slaves, Woodson tirelessly campaigned to rewrite the stories of people who were routinely silenced and excluded from history, especially as much of it was documented through a predominantly white lens. But we can't choose to reflect on the painful parts of our history without first delving into the man behind Black History Month, and the exhausting efforts to which he went to create an environment where future generations of African Americans could thrive. He chose to highlight the brutal past of his ancestors to not only serve as a reminder of how far he had come, but also as a symbol of hope. Black History Month has its roots in the slave trade, when between 20 and 30 African slaves were taken against their will from modern-day Angola - then a Portuguese colony - to the United States in 1619. John Rolfe, one of the first English settlers, wrote that the "20 and odd Negroes" had arrived via a Dutch ship, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/aug/15/400-years-since-slavery-timeline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>. One year later, 102 English pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, ready to start their lives in the New World. Over the next few centuries, hundreds of thousands of African slaves were transported to British North America and the US. And while President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery on January 1, 1863, the Black population was still subject to routine degradation, discrimination, and the removal of basic human rights. <img class="wp-image-1263195579 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/02/GA6618-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="1688" height="2560" />[[imagecaption|| An illustration from Harper's Monthly magazine in January 1901, depicting the slave trade in the early 1600s. Credit: IanDagnall Computing / Alamy]] It was amid the seeping hatred that America seemingly had for African Americans that Carter G. Woodson was born. His humble beginnings - both of his parents were illiterate former slaves and his formal schooling was erratic - didn't hinder his ambition to read history. Largely self-taught, the <a href="https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/carter-g-woodson#:~:text=Woodson-,Carter%20G.,marked%20every%20February%20since%201976." target="_blank" rel="noopener">NAACP</a> detailed how Woodson began high school at the age of 20 in 1895, before graduating with his diploma just two years later. Woodson gradually scaled the metaphorical ladder, earning his master's degree from the University of Chicago and working his way up to becoming the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University. However, it took being barred from the American Historical Association conferences (despite being a paying member) to serve as a stark reminder that the historical profession was just as white-dominated as the rest. And, likewise, the history of the United States in particular had only been framed around the white experience. Much like Indigenous Australians only being recognized as part of the Australian population in 1967, Black Americans were regarded as remnants of an ugly chapter of history that Americans would rather forget. In fact, Woodson argued that white historians were simply uninterested in Black history, saying that African Americans' contributions to history were hideously "overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them," per the <a href="https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/carter-g-woodson#:~:text=Woodson-,Carter%20G.,marked%20every%20February%20since%201976." target="_blank" rel="noopener">NAACP</a>. As a result, Woodson decided to create the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now known as the <a href="http://www.asalh.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Association for the Study of African American Life and History</a> (ASALH) in 1915. It was through this organization that Woodson created Black History Week - then known as Negro History Week - in 1926 to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and notable abolitionist Frederick Douglass in February. Sadly, Woodson died in 1950, almost 25 years before Negro History Week was officially recognized by the US Government. President Gerald Ford <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/message-the-observance-black-history-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a message</a> for Black History Week in 1975, urging Americans to "recognize the important contribution made to our nation's life and culture by black citizens." The following year, ASALH expanded this week-long observance to last the whole month of February. <img class="wp-image-1263195578 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/02/woodson-image.jpg" alt="" width="1535" height="800" />[[imagecaption|| The Carter G. Woodson memorial park statue in Washington, D.C. Credit: Randy Duchaine / Alamy]] Finally, in 1986 Congress passed <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/STATUTE-100/STATUTE-100-Pg6/summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Public Law 99-244</a>, which recognized the whole month of February 1986 as National Black (Afro-American) History Month, and stated that it would "mark the beginning of the sixtieth annual public and private salute to Black History." President Reagan subsequently issued <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-5443-national-black-afro-american-history-month-1986" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Presidential Proclamation 5443</a>, which stated that "the foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity," and that it was a time "to celebrate the many achievements of African Americans in every field from science and the arts to politics and religion." Since 1996, US Presidents have issued annual proclamations for National Black History Month, but officially recognizing it doesn't mean that its messages don't still ring true today. While the celebration originally commenced as a way to commemorate Black and African-Americans' contributions to America, it now goes beyond discussions of slavery and racism. These days, Black History Month is also a celebration of those who've impacted the US and the rest of the world through their achievements. As the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/black-history-month-what-is-it-and-why-do-we-need-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Economic Forum</a> explained, Black History Month now serves as a chance "for people to engage with Black histories [...] and highlight Black leaders and accomplishments." For many celebrating African-American history in the month of February, it offers a chance to imagine the possibilities that lie ahead, while others say that the reasons behind the origins of Black History Month are more relevant than ever, according to several African-Americans interviewed by <a href="https://www.oneyoungworld.com/blog/what-african-americans-have-say-about-black-history-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Young World</a>. One person even stated: "If not for Frederick Douglass, Dr Carter G. Woodson, Ella Baker, Dr Mary Mcleod Bethune and Dr Dorothy I. Height standing firm in their beliefs, our former First Lady Michelle Obama would not have been able to stand on a platform and state, 'I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.' "That statement alone called to our remembrance the literal blood, sweat, and tears that molded the country into what it is today. Until America comprehends that Black History is American History, our country will remain divided." Happy Black History Month US to everyone. <h6>Featured image credit: GRANGER - Historical Picture Archive / Alamy</h6>

Here's how Black History Month began - and why it's still vital today

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