Welcome to Black History Month 2025.
Since 1976, every U.S. president has acknowledged February as Black History Month to recognize the contributions African Americans have made to American culture.
On Friday, January 31, President Donald Trump issued his proclamation on Black History Month 2025, stating, “Every year, National Black History Month is an occasion to celebrate the contributions of so many Black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our Nation’s history.” He highlighted figures such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, and Justice Clarence Thomas as exemplars of America’s ideals. The President also expressed gratitude to Black Americans for their past and future contributions as the nation “prepares to enter a historic Golden Age.”
National Black History Month, 2025January 31, 2025
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Today, I am very honored to recognize February 2025 as National Black History Month.
Every year, National Black History Month is an occasion to celebrate the contributions of so many black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our Nation’s history.
Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways. American heroes such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Justice Clarence Thomas, and countless others represent what is best in America and her citizens. Their achievements, which have monumentally advanced the tradition of equality under the law in our great country, continue to serve as an inspiration for all Americans. We will also never forget the achievements of American greats like Tiger Woods, who have pushed the boundaries of excellence in their respective fields, paving the way for others to follow.
This National Black History Month, as America prepares to enter a historic Golden Age, I want to extend my tremendous gratitude to black Americans for all they have done to bring us to this moment, and for the many future contributions they will make as we advance into a future of limitless possibility under my Administration.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2025 as National Black History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
Source: Whitehouse.gov
On February 7, 1926, Woodson initiated the celebration of “Negro History Week” to bring national attention to the accomplishments of Black people in history. This week was the precursor of Black History Month. Dr. Woodson, along with other researchers and writers, paved the way for future generations to deepen their study on African American history beyond the month of February.
Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) designates a theme for Black History Month to focus on significant aspects of Black experiences. In 2025, the theme is “African Americans and Labor,” highlighting the profound impact of Black workers across various sectors. This theme encourages reflection on the diverse roles Black individuals have played—from agricultural labor during enslavement to leadership in labor movements and professional achievements.
Although Black History Month didn’t become a month-long national observance until 1976, Black history has been acknowledged and celebrated by African-Americans for decades.
On September 15, 1915, Carter G. Woodson, now known as the “Father of Black History,” established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) in Chicago, IL. A month later, the association was incorporated in Washington, D.C.
Today, the organization is known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). The association is on a mission to “promote, research, preserve, interpret and disseminate information about Black life, history and culture to the global community.”
Woodson’s work was driven by his desire to keep Black History alive. He once said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”
In January 1916, four months after launching the ASNLH, Woodson published the first issue of The Journal of Negro History. This publication later became The Journal of African American History.
According to the University of Chicago Press Journals, The Journal of Negro History was the first piece of original scholarly content to cover African-American life and history. It remains a leading scholarly publication for research and content about the African-American experience.
“The aim of this generation should be to collect the records of the Negro and treat them scientifically in order that the race may not become a negligible factor in the thought of the world.” – Carter G. Woodson, 1939
Keeping the Mission Alive
What are you doing to keep Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s mission alive? Woodson believed “Black people should be proud of their heritage and all Americans should understand the largely overlooked achievements of Black Americans,” according to the NAACP.
Since we launched the Chicago Southsider in August 2021, we’ve been committed to highlighting the contributions African-Americans have made on Chicago’s South Side. We also highlight stories from emerging and experienced entrepreneurs that don’t always get recognized by mainstream media.
Please help us continue Woodson’s legacy by supporting Chicago Southsider. Woodson said, “Let us banish fear. We have been in this mental state for three centuries. I am a radical. I am ready to act, if I can find brave men to help me.
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