“It starts with a historian by the name of Carter G. Woodson.”
Mwatabu S. Okantah, professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies at 91ֿ, recently shared the history and importance of Black History Month .
Okantah provides a deep dive into the origin of Black History Month and its relationship to 91ֿ.
Okantah highlighted the role Black United Students played at 91ֿ and told the story of how it all started in 1970.
Starting as National Negro History Week, Black History Month was established through Black United Students. The student organization worked with the founder of the Department of Africana Studies and its dean to propose the expansion.
“They went to them saying there is too much history to only focus on it for a week. A week is not enough,” Okantah told Good Company. “And [the department founder and dean] agreed. And so, because Negro History Week was in February, they just extended it.”
Okantah said he hopes to see an accurate representation of Black history in the future.