Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event is the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans.

Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.

The Black History Month 2023 theme, “Black Resistance,” explores how "African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms and police killings," since the nation's earliest days. 

Source: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month

February was chosen primarily because the second week of the month coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Lincoln was influential in the emancipation of slaves, and Douglass, a former slave, was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement, which fought to end slavery (article available here). (Douglass' exact date of birth wasn't recorded, but he came to celebrate it on Feb. 14.)

Source: https://www.fd.org/news/why-february-was-chosen-black-history-month 

LEARN MORE

Black History Month Timeline, DiversityInc.

"2023 Black History Theme Executive Summary: Black Resistance," Association for the Study of African American Life and History (AKALH).

These 30 Black History Documentaries Will Teach You a Lot, by Leah Marilla Thomas, Christen A. Johnson and Laura Hanrahan. Cosmopolitan, published Jan 6, 2023

LOCAL ACTIVITIES

Martin Luther King Memorial, "Revelation", Yerba Buena Center Gardens, San Francisco. Built in 1993, the MLK Memorial, Revelation, is the country's second-largest memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. Designed in 1993 by sculptor Houston Conwill, poet Estella Majoza and architect Joseph De Pace, the memorial sits behind a 50' x 20' wall of cascading water, with photos and quotes by Dr. King etched in the stone. 

20+ ways to celebrate Black History Month in the Bay Area, San Jose Mercury News 01/27/2023

The Bridge at History San Jose: 5:30 to 7 p.m. every Thursday in January and February, History Park, 635 Phelan Ave., San Jose. History San José and the African American Heritage House are presenting this weekly workshop series using WRAP (wellness recovery action planning) methodologies and the principles of Kwanzaa as a framework to explore Black history and culture, culminating in a Black History Month celebration on Feb. 24. Free. historysanjose.org/programs-events/

Black History Month Celebration and Drumming Workshop: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 3, Epacenter, 1950 Bay Road, East Palo Alto. Celebrate Black History Month with an evening of Black food and arts. Join a hands-on, in-person drumming workshop led by master percussionist and Grammy-nominated artist James Henry. Learn new rhythms inspired by African beats and drums from around the world, and discover how to create using your body, mind and soul (music). Free. https://bit.ly/BHMdrumming

Art of The African Diaspora Satellite Exhibition, San Jose. Visit the Art of The African Diaspora Satellite Exhibition on the first floor, Room 113, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. January 17 - February 28. This exhibit presents the work of emerging and established Black artists, introducing them to new audiences. This amazing exhibit features the works of Kelvin Curry, Stephen Bruce, and The Arthur Wright.