Black History Month provides an important opportunity to recognize and honor those Black women and men who have suffered, sacrificed, and provided leadership to shape the America of today. Unfortunately, many significant contributions of Black women and men from 1619 to present day are largely left out of American history books, but that began to change in 1915 when historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse Moreland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, an organization dedicated to recognizing the contributions to America by Black Americans and others of African descent. In February 1926, the organization sponsored National Negro History Week, to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. By the 1960’s, in part due to the civil rights movement, National Negro History Week evolved into Black History Month and since 1976, every American president has designated February as National Black History Month.
In honor of Black History Month, each Friday in February, the Community Climate and Care Committee at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing will present Black History News and Spotlights. The News and Spotlights links will be listed below, so please keep checking back for the latest news and join us in reading, interacting, reflecting and learning about the important contributions of Black women and men at UT Austin School of Nursing and across America.