February, Black History Month (USA, Canada)

BLACK HISTORY MONTH - USA Black History Month, and more importantly, the study of black history is greatly owed to Dr. Carter G. Woodson who first launched “Negro History Week” in 1926. Woodson chose February because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly impacted the American black population. Abraham Lincoln (president of the United States who freed slaves during the Civil War), and Frederick Douglass (a black who worked to end slavery) have birthdays in February. The purpose of this month is to recognize the contributions of Black Americans and develop a better understanding of the Black experience. BLACK HISTORY MONTH - Canada

In December of 1995, the Parliament of Canada recognized February as Black History Month following a motion introduced by the first African Canadian woman elected to Parliament, Jean Augustine. The presence of peoples of African descent in Canada dates back farther than Samuel de Champlain's (a French explorer and navigator in early 1600's) first voyage down the St. Lawrence River.

Snyder Thorn Diversity Calendar #today