(BLACK PR WIRE) -- Halfway through Black History Month, a month-long celebration commemorated through performances, concerts, exhibits, public speaking events, lectures and more, it is as good a time as any to reflect on the significance of the occasion. Many may be unaware of the fact that the original celebration of the positive contributions of African decent people took place in February of 1926 when American historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week. The second week of February was set aside for this week-long celebration to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and African American abolitionist, orator and writer Frederick Douglass.

The American bicentennial observance in 1976 saw this Black History Week expanded into Black History Month as a part of the celebration of our nation's history. A remembrance of and tribute to the important individuals, movements and ultimately the history of the African Diaspora, Black History Month is celebrated each year throughout the month of February in the United States and Canada.

Schools across the country take advantage of this great opportunity to educate their students on the importance of African American contributions to society in a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, science, agriculture, civil rights, law, religion, music, art, dance, theatre, poetry and literature. From Martin Luther King Jr. to W.E.B. Dubois, to Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni, Toni Morrison and Langston Hughes, Mohammed Ali and Hank Aaron, Black History Month seeks to educate and inform. For Black history is indeed American history.