SDHC Recognizes February as Black History Month
In the United States and Canada, the month of February is commemorated annually as Black History Month in acknowledgment of the numerous contributions of African Americans to the breadth of history. Originally established as a week-long event in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, born of a movement begun in 1915 – 50 years after the signing of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery in 1865. Woodson chose February for this week-long commemoration to honor the lives and birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both of whom played significant roles in the shaping of Black history. His aim, however, was not simply to honor these two individuals, but to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of all Black men and women who helped to create and develop modern civilization.
Woodson’s week-long celebration became a month-long, nationally recognized commemoration in 1976, 50 years after the first celebration. February 2026 marks another 50 years since the recognition of Black History Month began…and 100 years since Dr. Woodson’s effort to acknowledge the contributions of Black Americans began. Beginning in the mid-1970s, every American president, Republican and Democrat, has issued proclamations honoring the commemoration’s annual theme. For 2026, that theme is “A Century of Black History Commemorations.”
The South Dakota Humanities Council is honored to join in commemorating the contributions and accomplishments of Black Americans throughout the nation’s history and pays particular homage to those who played fundamental roles in the development of our state.