The Jane Addams Center for Civic Engagement invites you to learn more about how you can celebrate Black History Month, watch clips of various famous and life-changing individuals in Burpee Student Center, first floor near the den.

Black History Month was first initiated by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who received a Ph.D. from Harvard University and is considered a pioneer in the study of African American History. He believed that truth could not be denied and reason would prevail over prejudice. Thus, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) and conceived Negro History Week in 1925.

The rise of African American consciousness in the 1960s and Civil Rights Movement led to the expansion of Black History Month, also known as African American Heritage Month, in 1976. Black History Month is preferred to most as this celebration is annually observed in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States in remembrance of important people and events across of the African Diaspora.

For more information about Black History Month visit the Library of Congress.