In 1915, in response to the lack of information on the accomplishments of Black people available to the public, historian Carter G. Woodson co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.
In 1926, the group declared the second week of February as “Negro History Week” to recognize the contributions of African Americans to U.S. history. What was once a week-long event became a month-long celebration in 1976 when U.S. president Gerald Ford extended the recognition.
Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme.
The Black History Month 2023 theme, “Black Resistance,” explores how “African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms and police killings,” since the nation’s earliest days.
History.com
We acknowledge that Black History is more than one month, but it is important to pay homage to where we come from as we progress forward.
During February, the CANR DEI Committee will showcase a selection of Black innovators related to agriculture and the environment.
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