Black History Month, monthlong commemoration of African American history and achievement that takes place each February in the United States. It was begun in 1976.

February is celebrated as Black History Month (BHM), which highlights African-American history and the contributions of Black people in the United States. It has been almost 100 years since Carter G Woodson, known as “the father of Black history”, started Negro History Week in 1926, which set the stage for what is now known as Black History Month.

The event was expanded in 1970, and since 1976 every US president has officially designated February as Black History Month in the US. February was chosen in the US because it coincides with the births of former President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass – who escaped slavery and became a key social activist.