Black History Month (OCT 2026)

Black History Month is a period of time allocated to celebrate the achievements and culture of black people throughout history, and empower the black people who live today.

It evolved from another celebration created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson which was a week long. This initial celebration was created to acknowledge the achievements of African

Americans which were missing from most regular documentation of history. It was scheduled in February because it overlapped with the birthdays of two major black activists, Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. The modern celebration was kept in February in Canada and the United States, but moved to October in the UK due to being near the start of the academic year. In 1976, Gerald Ford officially recognised black history month and encouraged everybody to honour accomplishments of black Americans.

A few ways that people celebrate black history month include cultural exhibitions, educational events, and making extra effort to support black-owned businesses.

Written by Keiran, a Supernova

Image: Portrait of Dr. Carter Woodson by the Scurlock Studio in Washington, D.C. Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center, National Museum of American History