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 grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans.  

President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

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

When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience but to bring to the public’s attention important developments that merit emphasis. The Origins of Black History Month

African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms, and police killings since our arrival upon these shores. These efforts have been to advocate for a dignified self-determined life in a just democratic society in the United States and beyond the United States' political jurisdiction. The 1950s and 1970s in the United States were defined by actions such as sit-ins, boycotts, walkouts, and strikes by Black people and white allies in the fight for justice against discrimination in all sectors of society from employment to education to housing. Black people have had to consistently push the United States to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Systematic oppression has sought to negate much of the dreams of our griots, like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and our freedom fighters, like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Septima Clark, and Fannie Lou Hamer fought to realize. Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives, and for autonomy of their physical and intellectual bodies through armed resistance, voluntary emigration, nonviolence, education, literature, sports, media, and legislation/politics. Black-led institutions and affiliations have lobbied, litigated, legislated, protested, and achieved success. Read more>>>

African American History Month is an opportunity for all Catholics to experience a deeper encounter with Christ from a unique perspective.  Read more>>>

God of Heaven and Earth, you created the one human family and endowed each person with great dignity.

Aid us, we pray, in overcoming the sin of racism. Grant us, your grace, in eliminating this blight from our hearts, our communities, our social and civil institutions.

Fill our hearts with love for you and our neighbor so that we may work with you in healing our land from racial injustice.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

From A Prayer Service for Racial Healing in Our Land (USCCB)

God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change.

Lord, we know we cannot change what has happened in the past and the devastating impact of racism.

Grant us courage to change the things we can.

In the spirit of reconciliation and with gratitude for the gift of diversity, we seek to engage and empower people of faith to create a community of justice and peace through our common prayers and acts of compassion.

We do, Lord, with your help, have the power to change ourselves and our response to the present situation. Please guide us and give us the courage to do what we must do.

And lastly, Lord, give us wisdom to know the difference, so that with prophetic courage we may act as advocates for the dignity and well‐being of all persons, recognizing that behind every human face is the face of God.

In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.