The Importance of Black History Month

When Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), conceived of Negro History Week in 1925, they believed in raising awareness of African Americans’ contributions to civilization. Their event was eventually expanded to the entire month of February when Republican President Gerald R. Ford formally recognized it in 1976. Black History Month is important because African American communities are still underrepresented in the framework of the United States. Racialized violence remains an unsolved problem and American students still don’t learn enough about Black history in their formal education.

Despite the importance of Black history, legislation across the United States bans training that addresses systemic racism and sexism, leading to teachers being fired and courses being canceled. 

The Portland State University School of Social Work’s mission and values are informed by the Social Work Code of Ethics and the National Council on Family Relations’ Ethical Principles and Guidelines for Family Scientists. We believe in informed participation by the public in shaping social policies and institutions, as well as the promotion of policies and practices that support the expansion of cultural knowledge and resources. 

As such, we support our teachers’ freedom to teach the truth about our history. We should understand how race and racism shape our laws, policies, and structures, despite civil rights reforms. Teaching about systemic racism provides a bridge to unite us all. 

Below are several ways we can share on how you can show up for Black History Month:

• Learn more from The African American Policy Forum’s toolkit.
   
• Participate in PSU Black History Month events hosted by the Pan-African Commons (PAC) and the PSU Black Coalition. You can sign up for the PAC’s newsletter to receive calendar invitations to events here.
   
• Learn about 9 Courses at PSU to Learn About Black History, Present, and Future.
   
• Nationally, our faculty are thought leaders in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion; anti-colonial and decolonial practices; anti-racist pedagogy and feminist intersectionality. Read our faculty’s published research on these topics at PDXScholar.
   
• Read free ebooks published by Haymarket Books about Black history.
   
• Read Portland State University's Faculty Senate motion defending academic freedom.
   
• If you have been affected by these attacks on racial and gender justice discourse, you can tell your story to the African American Policy Forum.
   
• If you’re an educator who has questions about how classroom censorship bills are affecting what you can and cannot teach, please call the African American Policy Forum at 202-250-5403.