Feb. 1 marked the beginning of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, which was originally a week-long celebration started by historian and author Carter G. Woodson, the “father of Black history,” in 1926.
By the 1960s, Black History Week became a month-long celebration, and in 1986, Congress passed Public Law 99-244, which designated February as “National Black (Afro-American) History Month.”
“Black History Month is often associated with familiar icons such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, yet the deeper intention is about uncovering thousands of stories once ignored: scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, academics, inventors, policy leaders, soldiers and everyday citizens who shaped the nation,” Doug Melvin wrote for Forbes…