Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and in the Netherlands (as of 2016)[6] where it is known as Black Achievement Month. it began as a way for remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States[7] and Canada[8] in February, as well as in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands[9] in October.[6]

The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be Negro History Week.[10] This week was chosen because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and of Frederick Douglass on February 14, both of which dates Black communities had celebrated together since the late 19th century.[10]

From the events initial phase, primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of American blacks in the nations public schools. The first Negro History Week was met with a lukewarm response, gaining the cooperation of the Departments of Education of the states of North Carolina, Delaware, and West Virginia as well as the city school administrations of Baltimore and Washington, D.C..[11] Despite this far from universal acceptance, the event was regarded by Woodson as one of the most fortunate steps ever taken by the Association, and plans for a repeat of the event on an annual basis continued apace.[11]

At the time of Negro History Weeks launch, Woodson contended that the teaching of black history was essential to ensure the physical and intellectual survival of the race within broader society:

If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated. The American Indian left no continuous record. He did not appreciate the