The origin of Black History Month in America goes back more than 100 years. Some may wonder why February, the shortest month of the year, was chosen to be the month to celebrate Black history. Here is the origin of Black History Month and how it is celebrated each year.

February is Black History Month, set aside to honor the history of African-Americans. February was chosen to also honor abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays are this month.

Mwatabu Okantah was at Kent State when Black History Month was first celebrated. He reflects on the groundwork laid and why it still matters.

During the Black History Month ceremony, which preserved a long-standing and bipartisan White House tradition, Trump omitted any mention of his anti-DEI efforts.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s 2025 Black History Month theme is “African Americans and Labor."