Black History Month 2010: What does it mean and what can you do?

Most of you know that February is set aside as a month to celebrate and acknowledge the accomplishments and sacrifices of African Americans in the United States. But when and how did this tradition begin?

• Black History Month began as "Negro History Week" in 1926 and didn’t become a month long celebration until 1976.
• The week was created by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, educator, and publisher.
• The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of two men who drastically changed the future of black Americans:
• Frederick Douglass, one of the leading abolitionists in the U.S., and
• Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
• The creation of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was spurred by growing racial violence in the early 1900s, and particularly by race riots in Springfield, Illinois in 1908. A group of African American leaders formed the new civil rights organization, and chose February 12 it was the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

Check out our coverage of change-makers in black history: Rosa Parks, Russell Simmons, Jackie Robinson,will.i.am, Maya Angelou, Tiger Woods, Ella Fitzgerald, Abraham Lincoln, Halle Berry, Colin Powell, Toni Morrison, Eric Holder, Will Smith, the Williams Sisters, the Buffalo Soldiers, Arthur Ashe, Harriet Tubman, Alicia Keys, and finally, Barack and Michelle Obama!

Let us know who are some other change-makers in black history who have inspired you? Comment below!

What can you do?

• Museums across the country honor Black History Month with a calendar full of activities. Talk to your teacher to see if you can organize a class trip, or get your friends together and head on over.
• Cities and towns organize festivals to embrace and promote the rich African American traditions that have contributed to the history of the city/town. Participate in diverse offerings of arts and entertainment. Check your city or town's website for more info.
• Have your own awareness campaign in your school. Ask your principal if you can take over a bulletin board for the month, and feature a change-maker in black history every few days.

And don't forget to tell DoSomething.org what you did!