Black History Month is a time to pay tribute to the contributions of African Americans who have helped shape the nation.
You can't celebrate Black History Month, without knowing how it came to be.
13 WREX reports that Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a distinguished author, editor, and teacher, dedicated his life to educating Black people about the achievements and contributions of their ancestors.
Woodson is well known as the "Father of Black History".
"He was very instrumental in education and I think he figured not only should he educate himself, but he should educate the community on what we've accomplished and who we are." Ethnic Heritage Museum Board Member, David Ruffin said.
In addition to being a board member, David Ruffin is also the Director of the African American Gallery. He's been studying Black history for three decades.
"We should learn the accomplishments, the tribulations that we suffered and once you understand it it can help you to improve and don't make the same mistakes again and how we can improve life," Ruffin said.
Carter G. Woodson wasn't able to go to school until the age of 20.
Born in 1875, his parents were former slaves and he spent the early years of life helping out on his family's farm to make ends meet.
Despite all of life's obstacles, Woodson's hunger for education never wavered.
"He went on to get his masters degree from the University of Chicago and he got his PhD from Harvard University making him only the second African American to get a PhD from Harvard," Ruffin said.
Woodson believed young African Americans were not being taught enough about their own heritage, and would later take matters into his own hands.
According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), through funding from several philanthropic foundations, in 1915 Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in Chicago.
In 1926, Woodson's devotion to showcasing the contributions of Black Americans took another big step forward.
"Lot of people don't know Black History Month actually started as a week," Omega Psi Phi Iota Delta Chapter President, Kanaan Deer said.
In February 1926, Woodson announced the first Negro History Week. He did it with the help of his brotherhood, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, a historically Black Greek lettered fraternity founded in 1911.
"He became an honorary member February 10, 1917," Deer said.
Kanaan Deer is a senior at Northern Illinois University. He's the Director of Greek Life for the Student Government Association and the Iota Delta chapter President of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Kanaan said Dr. Woodson used the fraternity as a stepping stone to reach the masses.
"The support of the fraternity was monumental in Dr. Woodson's efforts because he was the vessel and the fraternity was the platform he used," Deer said. "Any position of power doesn't really change you as the person itself, it sort of just amplifies you if you are someone who has done tons of community work before joining then you'll just have a much bigger platform to do bigger things on a grander scale."
The idea of recognizing Black History eventually grew, and by 1976 it evolved into what we know as Black History Month.
"This is eye-opening to know that someone built that bridge prior to me getting here and allowing me to be able to capitalize on things setup for people to win essentially," Deer said.
There is no American history without Black history.
Carter G. Woodson's legacy lives on as people across the nation continue to educate themselves and others on the achievements of Black Americans.
"Without knowledge we could repeat the same mistakes again," Ruffin said.
"Black history month is so important because in a lot of cases minorities don't really get the support they need in most cases but by dedicating a time for African American support to be at its highest is kind of like I say a breeding ground for Black excellence," Deer said.
If you're wondering why Black History Month is celebrated in February, it was chosen because it's the month in which both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born.
Lincoln was influential in the emancipation of slaves, and Douglass, a former slave, was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement, which fought to end slavery.
- This story is part of the Black Culture Amplified series produced by 13 WREX.