February, also known as Black History Month, is the month that Black people can call their own. Throughout this month, we celebrate the accomplishments made by people in the Black community in the past and present.
The celebration of the accomplishments of Black people dates back to 1915 when historian Carter G. Woodson, son of formerly enslaved parents, co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. His motivation was the lack of information available to the public on the accomplishments of Black people.
The presence of Black people in the United States dates back to the late 17th century, when Black people were taken from their homeland of Africa and brought to America to be enslaved.
During the American Revolution, Black heroes served the country in the Continental Army. The rise of rebellion against slavery also began around this time. Crispus Attucks, who became an icon of the anti-slavery movement, was the first American to be killed during the revolutionary war.
In the 1800s, many well-known figures fought for the freedom and rights of Black people. These figures included Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman, who helped enslaved Black people escape through the Underground Railroad.
Blacks also started to hold positions as leaders at local, state, and federal offices during this time period. But it wasn’t until the 20th century that Black public figures began to receive the recognition they deserved for their work.
In 1926, Black history was publicly celebrated for the first time, when the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History declared the second week of February as Negro History Week. During this time, information on Black people started to be made public through textbooks, and more people developed an interest in studying Black history.
Negro History Week slowly turned into Negro History Month in some communities throughout the 1940s. But it wasn’t until 1976 that the week-long event was officially made a month-long event by former U.S. President Gerald Ford. Ford wanted to encourage the public to use the opportunity to honour the accomplishments of African Americans.
February was the chosen month to celebrate Black history because two figures who had a role in the abolishment of slavery were born in February: former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (born February 12, 1809) who issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and African American abolitionist, author and orator Fredrick Douglass (born February 14, 1818).
Today, Black History Month is celebrated in various ways in the United States, through museum displays, school performances, marketplaces, and ceremonies at convention centres, just to name a few.
Black history also has roots in Canada, dating back to the 1600s with the arrival of Mathieu Da Costa, a navigator and interpreter.
The accomplishments of Black Canadians are often disregarded in Canada’s history. Black Canadians have received little mention for what they did as Loyalists during the American Revolution and the sacrifices they made as soldiers during the War of 1812.
The enslavement of Black people at one point in Canada’s history is not something a lot of people are aware of. Nor is there much awareness about how they fought in helping to lay the foundation of Canada’s diverse and inclusive society.
Two years after Black History Week turned into Black History Month in the United States, the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) was established. The founders of the non-profit organization, Dr. Daniel G. Hill and Wilson O. Brooks, wanted to bring the celebration to Toronto and presented a petition to the city. Toronto held Canada’s first proclamation of Black History Month in 1979.
Nova Scotia followed and observed Black History Month for the first time in 1988. The province has recognized the month as African Heritage Month since 1996.
In 1993, the Honourable Jean Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, was presented with the idea of having Black History Month celebrated across every province by Rosemary Sadlier, then-president of the OBHS.
In a motion carried unanimously by the House of Commons, February was officially recognized as Black History Month in Canada in December 1995.
More great news came when Senator Donald Oliver, the first Black Canadian man elected to the Senate, introduced the Motion to Recognize the Contributions of Black Canadians and February as Black History Month in February 2008. A month later, the motion was unanimously approved and passed.
This motion is the completion of Canada’s journey toward celebrating and acknowledging Black History Month by the Canadian Parliament.
Just like its neighbours to the South, Canada celebrates Black History Month through various events.