In 1926, Negro History Week was established by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) to inspire communities to organize local celebrations and lectures, spread awareness, and raise Black pride.
Fast forward to 1960, the Civil Rights Movement helped raise Negro History Week to a level of national awareness. By 1976, the week-long celebration transformed into a month-long celebration and the month of February was officially declared Black History Month.
Since 1928, the ASALH has declared a new focus and theme for Black History Month each year. This year’s theme for 2022 is Black Health and Wellness. As the ASALH puts it, the inequalities “baked” into our systems attempt to break down the financial, emotional, physical, intellectual health, and well-being of our community. We’re countering those attempts by focusing on our collective well-being. There’s no better time than now to celebrate Black joy and reflect on how far we’ve come within the journey.
After the last two years, the Black community has felt a particular weight—from the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to the impact of an ongoing global pandemic. Although these events and others deserve our continued attention and action, we must also remember to discover, highlight, and honor what brings us joy as a people and a community.
This Black History Month, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) will take a moment to acknowledge the #JoyInTheJourney. We’re reminding the community of our collective progress and strength, our change makers, our trailblazers, and our gems who’ve all been a part of making Black history and pushing us all forward. We have so much to be proud of and our joy is just one way to feed our mental health and resilience.
It’s deeper than our smile. Our #JoyInTheJourney is deeper than “the silver lining”. Our joy is anchored in celebrating the wins along the way! Our joy is an antidote, an aid to our action, an act of determination, sometimes an act of resistance, and most importantly, a method of community rejuvenation.
Let’s celebrate together!
Throughout the month of February, learn more about the Black community’s many history makers, influencers, and emerging leaders in politics, science, entertainment, and more.
- Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
- Join us for a weekly Black History Month trivia – Wednesdays at 12PM ET on Instagram Stories.
Finding joy on the journey helps inspire our work, take pride in our past, and have confidence in the future. Happy Black History Month!
References: