Every year, as the month of February comes around, a tapestry of history is displayed nationwide to honor the threads that hang with courage and resilience. Black History Month (BHM) finds its origins in 1915, when the month to celebrate and recognize Black individuals and communities was first established. 

In September of 1915, a Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). ASNLH was created with the mission to research the lives of African Americans and people of African descent. In 1916, the organization sponsored the very first “Negro History Week.” ASNLH chose Negro History Week as the second week of February, as it is coincides with the birthdates of both President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The celebratory week triggered a sense of reverence in schools and communities nationwide, and finally, in 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized the month of February as Black History Month. 

Black History Month is not limited to the confines of the United States–it is celebrated in countries around the world. One such country is Canada. Black Canadians have been an integral part of Canada’s history, influencing the country’s past and identity. In 1933, the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) successfully petitioned for a Black History Month in the province of Ontario. Following the success of the month, the Honorable Jean Augustine, who was the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, and got Parliament to officially recognize Black History Month across Canada. Moreover, the United Kingdom was the first European nation to recognize the month, with its Black History Month recognized in October. Similarly to the UK, Australia also celebrates BHM in a different month. In 2008, a proclamation was passed to declare July as Black History Month. Although the celebration of the month is fairly similar amongst the nations, each one has a different origin. Regardless, even within these differences come similar impacts Black individuals have made on modern day society–impacts that continue to shape the nature of many countries around the world. 

Information retrieved from History and Essence.