Why is Black History Month the shortest month of all? Who chose February and why?

Question

Michele G is assuming I am black...lololol....I'm just a curious white chick, that's all.

Answer 1

To steal an explanation from Wikipedia:


Carter G. Woodson chose the second week of February for ***** History Week in 1926 because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Later on in 1976, as the nation reached its bicentennial, the week was expanded into an entire month. However, February has much more than Douglass and Lincoln to show for its significance in black American history. For example:

February 23, 1868: W.E.B. DuBois, important civil rights leader and co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was born.
February 3, 1870: The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed, granting blacks the right to vote.
February 25, 1870: The first black U.S. Senator, Hiram Rhodes Revels, took his oath of office.
February 12, 1909: The NAACP was founded by a group of concerned and moderate
black, Jewish and white citizens in New York City.

February 1, 1960: In what would become a civil-rights movement milestone, a group of black Greensboro, North Carolina, college students began a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter.
February 21, 1965: Malcolm X, the militant leader who promoted Black Nationalism, was shot to death by three Black Muslims.
History books had barely started covering black history when the tradition of Black History Month was started. At that point, most representation of blacks in history books was only in reference to the low social position they held, with the exception of George Washington Carver. Black History Month can also be referred to as African-American History Month, or African Heritage Month.

In the United Kingdom (UK), Black History Month is celebrated in the month of October. The official guide to Black History Month in the UK[1] is published by Sugar Media, Ltd., who produce 100,000 copies nationwide.

Black History Month exposes the harms of racial prejudice and cultivates black self-esteem following centuries of socio-economic oppression [citation needed]. It is an opportunity to recognize the significant contributions people with African heritage have made and continue to make in such areas as education, sports, medicine, art, culture, public services, economic development, politics and human rights.

Answer 2

Thank you trasekim for an excellent answer.

Being old enough to remember the days of segregation, and having gone through the demonstrations of the 60s, I am continually amazed at the lack of understanding of historical facts and the reaching for conspiratorial theories that have nothing to do with reality.

There are times when it seems that we have gone backward and all of the past effort has been for naught.

Answer 3

If a month represents one twelfth (more or less) of a year, it could be said that Blacks have that percentage of the year to 'celebrate'. Is that a fair represetnation of the Black population - are they indeed one twelfth of the greater population of the USA?? And the other person is correct - where is Native Americans month, Latino month and Asian month and left-handers month? We are all Americans.

Answer 4

Why does it matter? Be happy that an entire month is dedicated to the history of a race. Do we have Asian history month? Or European History month?

Answer 5

i'm think the same thing mayby bcuz white people wanted us black plp 2 have the shortest of month

Answer 6

Could you imagine if blacks had to come up with 3 more days of significant accomplishments? Christ, they struggle to fill 28 days.

Answer 7

it was chosen by the government because of alot of historic events

Answer 8

Nobody else even gets a month. you should feel proud.

Answer 9

Agrippina knows. I told her.

Answer 10

Nice conspiracy theory.