Black History Fact of the Day 1

Black history month was founded in the UK in October 1987 by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo. Originally intended only for London but over the years it became a national event. In the US it was established in 1926 by the prominent African American historian Carter G. Woodson as “Negro History Week”. Woodson, sometimes called the ‘Father of Black History’ also co-founded the academic publication “Journal of Negro History”. It is celebrated in the US in February to mark the birthday of two abolitionists Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. The choice of October in the UK was to coincide with important period in many African cultures (autumn equinox coinciding with yam harvests) and also to be at a time when the school calendar is not as busy and the weather is still good enough for outdoor events.

Sources for this fact: Wikipedia, Oxford Companion to Black British History and http://www.black-history-month.co.uk/BHM_FAQ.html.

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