In 1926, black historian Carter G. Woodson proposed the first national Negro History Week. He chose the second week in February as it included birthdays for anti-slavery notables Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. It was overwhelmingly accepted by the public, and increased awareness of the importance of African Americans in U.S. history. Fifty years later, in 1976, President Ford designated February as Black History Month.
Throughout U.S. History, African Americans have played an integral part in the development and achievement of this country. Footnote.com is now revealing a side of the African American story that few have seen before. You can now go to Footnote.com to view more than a million photos and documents found nowhere else on the internet.