As the week starts at LN, so does a fun and interactive week to commemorate Black History Month. Originally, the Black History Month that we know today wasn’t as praised by all, and it most certainly wasn’t a month-long holiday. Most people don’t know that Carter G. Woodson wasn’t the only founder of Black History Month, but that he also had help from an organization that he founded, named the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, or the ASNLH for short.

In February 1926, the first Negro History Week was established. The week was packed with activities, reflection, and appreciation for the African Americans that continued to fight for equal rights, voting rights, etc. for the Black community of America. More and more African Americans, as the years progressed, demanded the week be expanded to a month, reckoning for the Black Awakening of the 1960s, as reported by BlackHistoryMonth.gov. “The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation’s bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to ‘seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.’” In 1976, 50 years after the first celebration, the association held the first Black History Month.

Now, Black History Month is more than the week. It’s a month of education, reflection, and appreciation for Black pioneers that paved the way for equal rights, fighting social justice, and more, and how they helped shape the world today.

Black Student Union of LN has a week-long spirit week Feb. 14-18. Monday (today) is Black Excellence Day, where the main thing is to dress up as your favorite Black influencer. Each day, we will get on and update the days so as to keep up with the spirit week. In the spirit of these events, participation is strongly encouraged.