Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans

It is also a time to recognize their central role in U.S. history

Black History Month is also known as African American History Month

It is celebrated in February in the United States and Canada,while in Ireland and the United Kingdom it is observed in October

The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States 

President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976 

Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme

In 2020, Black History Month was celebrated in seven African countries for the first time

Participating countries were Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ivory Coast, Comores, Senegal and Cameroon 

The Black History Month 2024 theme is “African Americans and the Arts