National African American History Month, also referred to as African American History Month and popularly as Black History Month, is an annual observance and celebration of the achievements of black Americans. Black History Month recognizes the central role of African Americans in U.S. history.
This fact sheet links to authoritative information resources on National African American History Month. It is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to Black History Month, providing links to legislation, CRS reports, sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, and presidential proclamations and remarks. It also links to additional government web resources and selected advocacy, educational, cultural, and military, organizations.
The origins of National African American History Month date back to 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a noted scholar of black history, set aside time in February to recognize the heritage, achievements, and contributions of African Americans. Since 1976, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the organization founded by Dr. Woodson, has expanded the observance of Black History Week into a month-long celebration.
Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush's proclamations were calls to celebrate "National Black (Afro-American) History Month." In even earlier proclamations the words "African-American" and "black" were often interchanged. However, every president since Bill Clinton in 1996 has proclaimed February simply as National African American History Month.
Each year the national theme for the Black History Month celebration is chosen by ASALH. The theme for 2016 is "Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African-American Memories."
P.L. 99-244—In 1986, Congress officially recognized the month of February as Black (Afro-American) History Month.
The Congressional Research Service has prepared numerous reports that relate to African Americans. Some of these include
CRS Report R43869, Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile, by [author name scrubbed] (see "African American Members")
CRS Report RL30378, African American Members of the United States Congress: 1870-2012, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]
CRS Report R43626, The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Background and Overview, by [author name scrubbed]
Elected officials often deliver speeches, make floor statements, issue press releases, or enter Extensions of Remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and observances. The following are some recent examples:
Senator Cory Booker, "A Resolution Celebrating Black History Month," Congressional Record, February 23, 2015
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, "In Commemoration of Black History Month," Congressional Record, February 28, 2014
Representative Wm. Lacy Clay, "Black History Month 2014 Floor Speech," Congressional Record, February 27, 2014
Representative Al Green, "Black History Month," Congressional Record, February 26, 2014
Representative Joe Garcia, "Black History Month," Congressional Record, February 28, 2013
Senator Sherrod Brown, "Black History Month," Congressional Record, February 26, 2013
Representative Allen West, "In Recognition of Black History Month," Congressional Record, February 15, 2012
One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or call attention to certain issues or events. Some recent African American National History Month proclamations, from the White House website and the Compilation of Presidential Documents, include
Proclamation: President Barack Obama, January 29, 2016
Proclamation 9230: President Barack Obama, January 30, 2015
Proclamation 9080: President Barack Obama, January 31, 2014
Proclamation 8930: President Barack Obama, January 31, 2013
Proclamation 8776: President Barack Obama, January 31, 2012
Proclamation 8627: President Barack Obama, February 1, 2011
Proclamation 8476: President Barack Obama, February 1, 2010
Proclamation 8345: President Barack Obama, February 2, 2009
Proclamation 8218: President George W. Bush, January 29, 2008
Proclamation 6863: President William J. Clinton, January 30, 1996
Black (African-American) History Month: Facts for Features and Special Editions, February 2015 (U.S. Census Bureau). Contains collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas related to African Americans.
Economic Snapshot of African Americans in the United States, 2010 latest available (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Data presented as an economic snapshot of African Americans and employment, industries, and education.
The National Park Service has numerous park sites dedicated to African American history and culture.
The Library of Congress provides a resource guide to its African American collections by way of "The African-American Mosaic: A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Black History and Culture." Includes information on the Civil Rights Act, African Americans in the military, special events at the Library, and resources for teachers.
The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is scheduled to open in the fall of 2016. In the interim, a wide variety of historical and educational program information is available on the NMAAHC website. The "Events" tab directs one to a few public events beginning with the Black History Month Family Day on Saturday, February 6, 2016.
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), Founders of Black History Month (in 1926, originally Negro History Week), carries forth the work of its founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson. ASALH's mission is "to promote, research, preserve, interpret and disseminate information about Black life, history and culture to the global community."
The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University (DC) has one of the world's largest and most comprehensive repositories for the documentation of the history and culture of people of African descent in Africa, the Americas, and other parts of the world.
Archives of African American Music and Culture (AAAMC). One of the foremost research centers for the study of black music is Indiana University (Bloomington, IN). The AAAMC houses African American collections and history of religious, classical, blues, gospel, R&B, and hip hop music.
The Infoplease.com's Black History Month website contains biographies, quizzes, crosswords, facts, and statistics.
Information on African Americans in military history is available on the following websites: