President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976 with a call to action to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”.
February is dedicated as Black History Month because it holds the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln, two men who played a significant role in helping to end slavery.
The Black History Month theme for 2023 is “Black Resistance“, exploring how African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression since the nation’s earliest days.