February is Black History Month! Although the month has been recognized in the United States of America since 1976, surprisingly enough there are still people, especially students who think February is simply the second month of the year.  In 1915, Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, and minister Jesse E. Moreland founded the Association for The Study of Negro Life and History (ASNHL). Now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. 

 

This organization was dedicated to researching and promoting the achievement of African Americans that were not being taught in the classroom. During the second week in February 1926, ASNHL sponsored the national Negro History Week to coincide with the birthday of Federick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

 

Negro History week was intended to aid in teaching Black History in schools. It was growth and thanks to the Civil Rights Movement that brought attention to Black life and Black students and educators at Kent State University, Black History Week evolved into Black History Month and today is celebrated throughout the country.  

 

For the past nineteen years World Stage Theatre has been educating communities about the rich tapestry of the African Diaspora through the arts. As the innovators of Black History Festival NW, the organization is elated about this year’s theme as we continue to uplift our community and bring people together. Black History Festival NW is the only of its kind in the North West region, reaching more than 30,000 people and partnering with more than 100 Black artists, leaders, organizations, and businesses in the Pacific NW. 

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All month long people are encouraged to make note of the fact that Black history is American history. There are numerous ways people can support and participate:

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