Black History Month

Throughout the year there are months that celebrate the history of different groups of people. The history of these groups of people is part of all history so we should learn about everyone’s history all year round. However, these specific months help people learn more about these groups, their history and their importance to the wider world.

Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honours all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today.
Since the first Negro History Week in 1926, other countries have joined the United States in celebrating Black people and their contribution to history and culture, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Today Black History Month continues the discussion of Black people and their contributions through activities such as museum exhibits and film screenings, and by encouraging the study of achievements by African Americans year-round.
In 1875, Carter G Woodson was born in the USA. Because he was Black, Carter didn’t have many opportunities to have an education or a well-paid job. However, he eventually managed to go to one of the top universities in the USA. He noticed that there was almost no mention of Black people in history books and wanted to change this. In 1926, he announced the first ever Black History Month. Carter became known as the ‘Father of Black History’.

Among the notable figures often spotlighted during Black History Month are Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought for equal rights for Blacks during the 1950s and ’60s; Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1967; Mae Jemison, who became the first female African-American astronaut to travel to space in 1992; and Barack Obama, who was elected the first-ever African-American president of the United States in 2008.
Look at these bbc website for more information about Black History Month.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/black-history-month-primary-and-secondary-resources/zjwf8xs

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000w6yn/magic-hands-black-history-songs-1-dancing-in-the-street

Magic Hands - Black History Songs: 1. Dancing in the Street