Who created Black History Month? What to know about its founder – Cincinnati Enquirer

Black History Month is celebrated throughout the month of February, and its origins trace back 100 years. Here’s what to know about its founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, and how the month-long celebration of Black history and culture has evolved over the years.
Historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson helped launch the national recognition of Black history.
Woodson was born on Dec. 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. He later worked as a coal miner in West Virginia beginning at age 17 before attending high school. Woodson earned degrees from Berea College (Kentucky) and the University of Chicago before earning a doctorate from Harvard in 1912, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, an organization Woodson founded in 1915.
Black History Month dates back to 1926, when Woodson, a historian and author, launched Negro History Week to highlight the achievements of Black Americans, according to the ASALH. It later became a month-long celebration nationally recognized in the U.S.
The observance gained national recognition in the 1970s, when President Gerald Ford issued a message on the observance of Black History Week, and later Black History Month, urging Americans to honor Black contributions and the often‑overlooked achievements of Black Americans, according to the Library of Congress.
The observance is held in February to align with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two influential figures in Black American history, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Lincoln’s birth date is Feb. 12, while Douglass’ birth date is recognized as being on Feb. 14.
In addition to it being Black History Month, February has several holidays and observances coming up:

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