February is Black History Month. This year, the observance reaches a milestone: 100 years since its first celebration. Guided by the theme set by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), this centennial is a moment to look back at how the tradition began and why it still matters.
How It Started
Black History Month traces its roots to 1915, when historian Carter G. Woodson founded ASALH to promote the study of Black history. In 1926, Woodson launched Negro History Week in February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two figures central to the fight for freedom and equality.
The observance grew during the civil rights era, as students demanded more opportunities to study Black history. In 1969, students and faculty at Kent State University proposed Black History Month and celebrated it the following year. By 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized the month nationally, and in 1986 Congress formally designated February as Black History Month.
Why It Matters Today
Libraries, museums, archives and community spaces now help share these stories. While the month often highlights icons like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Malcolm X, its broader purpose is to uncover thousands of overlooked lives — scientists, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, activists and everyday citizens who shaped the nation.
Explore with Johnson County Library
Upcoming Events
- Feb. 5 – Online Author Talk with Vanessa Riley, Swashbuckling Heroines and High Seas Adventures. Registration required.
- Feb. 12 – Online Author Talk with Dr. Lindsey Stewart, Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic. Registration required.
- Feb 19 - The Past is Prologue: Mapping Inequality. Registration required.
Primary Sources
- African-American History Collection – 500+ years of African-American history, culture and experience
- Associated Press Collections Online – Coverage of Martin Luther King Jr., Freedom Riders, desegregation, voting rights and more
- American Civil Liberties Union Papers – Twentieth-century ACLU records on race and civil rights
- Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive – Documents and research guides on slavery, abolition and emancipation
Local History
- The Legacy of Corinthian Nutter – Her role in Webb v. School District 90, which ended segregation five years before Brown v. Board of Education
- JoCo History Collections – Historical photographs and maps documenting Johnson County’s people and places
Watch and Listen
- African American Stories on Kanopy – Films and documentaries exploring history, culture, and current events
- The Past Is Prologue – Programs highlighting stories often left out or misrepresented in history books
Read and Discover
- Celebrate 100 Years of the Negro Leagues
- Read More Black Authors: Kids and Teens
- Upbeat Black History Month
- Black History Month – Nonfiction titles on African American history
- Black History Month: Biographies for Younger Readers
Find Black history programs and resources online or at any of our 14 Library locations, year-round.
This collage depicting a variety of historic Johnson County African-Americans is composed of images sourced from JoCoHistory.org.
JoCoHistory expands the public's sense of community through an understanding of Johnson County's history and its place in American society.
