The origin of Black History Month can be traced back to the early 20th century when in 1926 Carter G. Woodson, along with the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, announced the second week of February as Negro History Week in order to coincide with birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
Negro History Week became a popular annual observance and was officially recognized by the U.S. government in the 1970s when it was expanded to become Black History Month. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Blacks in America.
On Thursday, Feb. 16, Lou Belcher, an advocate for Black History, Elliott Reed, the only African-American on the Middlesex County School Board and its chairman, and Vince Carter, a Black Vietnam War vet and member of the Middlesex County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), addressed Nicole Ambrose’s U.S. History class at Middlesex High School.
