BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Black History Month became a nationally recognized, month-long observance in 1976 expanding on decades of advocacy led by historian Carter G. Woodson, who launched Negro History Week in 1926. Entering high school at the age of 20, he later went on to be the 2nd Black American to be awarded a PhD from Harvard University. He chose the month of February for the celebration based on the birthdays of two key people involved in the abolition of slavery, Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass. In1976 Black History Month finally gained national recognition in the United States. That year, President Gerald Ford said that Black History Month “can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”.

2026 will mark 50 years of formal recognition for Black History Month, a milestone that invites reflection not only on Black history, but on how institutions acknowledge, value, and act on it today. While awareness of Black history has grown over the past five decades, many of the inequities that shaped that history continue to show up in the workplace, from representation gaps in leadership to disparities in pay, advancement, and psychological safety. This is why Black History Month remains relevant: not as a retrospective exercise, but as a lens for understanding how history connects to present-day systems and decisions at work.

Black History Month at work isn’t about celebration alone, it’s about learning, reflection, and responsibility,” says Melicia Hewitt, Training Facilitator at CultureAlly. “When organizations take the time to observe it thoughtfully, they signal that Black experiences and contributions are valued not just historically, but as part of the company’s present and future.

Here’s why we love to celebrate Black History Month:

• We celebrate this month to remember important Black figures who have long been forgotten.

• We celebrate this month to show Black youth that they can achieve their dreams, no matter what they may be.

• And we celebrate this month to educate everyone about the Black experience.

So what can you do to enhance your knowledge and education on Black History Month? Check out https://www.blackhistorymonth.gov/ and get access to articles, podcasts, and other key learnings to engage yourself in this important cultural month.

Other key resources:

• Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom wrote this article on Black progress in 1998 and it still rings true today.

• Jessica Graham-LoPresit, Tahirah Abdullah, Amber Calloway and Lindsey West collaborated to deliver this article about racism, stress and how to cope with anxiety.

• Jim Ludema and Amber Johnson discuss three do’s and don’ts for allyship in the workplace in this Forbes article.

• Melanie S. Morrison discusses white privilege, shame and guilt, and working collaboratively with people of color in this Yale published article.

And for fun... here are some FIRSTS for the Black Community in our nation's history! 

• Hattie McDaniel was the first Black person to win an Oscar (1940)

• Marian Anderson was the first Black member of the Metropolitan Opera (1955)

• Charlie Sifford was the first Black person to win a PGA Tour Event (1967)

• Shirly Chisholm was the first Black person to campaign for U.S. presidency in a major political party and win a primary/caucus (1972)

• Mae Jemison was the first Black woman astronaut (1992)

• Ruth J. Simmons was the first Black president of an Ivy League university (2001)

• Barack Obama was the first Black president of the U.S. (2008)

• Kamala Harris was the first Black U.S. vice-president elect (2020)