Happy Black History Month, John!
As we vision and build Black futures, we are deeply committed to the African principle of Sankofa -- that we must embrace and honor the freedom fighters, struggles, and lessons learned from the past as we chart the course forward.
Black History Month was founded initially as Negro History Week in 1926 by our honored Ancestor Dr. Carter G. Woodson and taken as a month of remembrance by Black Student Union organizers at Kent State University in 1969. It was and continues to be an expression of Black autonomy.
While the U.S. government did not recognize Black History Month until 1976, our power as Black people has always persisted. Through every single movement, fight, and collective action, we stood on the shoulders of those who came before us and continue to do that now.
Since Black Lives Matter was founded, we've acknowledged that we are but one marker in the long struggle for Black freedom. Those who walked before us continue to serve as a source for us. Over the years, our Black History Month efforts have ranged from political education sessions to social media posts to arts initiatives.
This year, we are excited to partner with Scholars for Black Lives and share daily offerings of Black history as political education by some of our leading Black radical intellectuals on Instagram.
To see this year's Black History Month daily posts, be sure you're following our Instagram page: @blklivesmatter.
We are beyond excited and hopeful for these brief tellings of Black history. May you all be inspired and reminded that the path ahead can be renewed with vigor and vision.
Wishing you an abundance of purposeful peace, justice, and freedom,
Melina Abdullah
Co-Director, Black Lives Matter-Grassroots
Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles
Charles H.F. Davis III
Founder and Director, Scholars for Black Lives
