On Tuesday, Polk County’s Board of Supervisors declared February 2024 as Black History Month. The proclamation, celebrated by meeting attendees, recognizes the significant contributions of African Americans to U.S. history. It traces the origins of Black History Month to 1915, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
The document also mentions that the first Black History week, sponsored by Dr. Woodson and ASALH in 1926, was timed to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The Civil Rights Movement and a growing awareness of Black identity in the late 1960s expanded this week into a month-long celebration.
The proclamation notes that President Gerald Ford issued the first African-American History Month proclamation in 1976. Since then, U.S. presidents have issued proclamations each February, each with a specific theme. This year’s theme, ‘African Americans and the Arts,’ highlights the important role of African American artists in preserving history and empowering individuals.