NOW Members Observe the Most Significant Black History Month in Memory

Observances like Black History Month are an essential part of the authentic story of our country.  Attacks on so-called critical race theory in schools and D.E.I. programs welcomed by industry and institutions are actually part of the honest history we must keep from being hidden.

Black History Month has been observed in various forms since 1926, when author Carter G. Woodson led a national campaign to celebrate the achievement of Black Americans, and ensure that schoolchildren were exposed to honest, authentic Black history—stories that went beyond racist tropes and accounts of slavery.

President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month in 1976, and since then, every president, Republican and Democrat alike, has recognized the importance of this observance.

But this year, Black History Month has taken on a new significance as President Donald Trump acts to end D.E.I. efforts and dismantle programs that benefit millions.

At the same time, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued official guidance to declare “Identity Months Dead at DoD.”

“Going forward,” the orders read, “DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.”

The Air Force even took down a video celebrating the Tuskegee Airmen, before being caught out and having to put it back.

Amid this backlash against Black history, it’s more important than ever that we participate in this month’s celebrations. The group Carter G. Woodson founded, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), each year establishes a theme for Black History Month, and the theme for this year is African Americans and Labor:

“Be it the traditional agricultural labor of enslaved Africans that fed Low Country colonies, debates among Black educators on the importance of vocational training, self-help strategies and entrepreneurship in Black communities, or organized labor’s role in fighting both economic and social injustice, Black people’s work has been transformational throughout the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora.”

NOW members know that the essential need for Black History Month will endure, but this year, we need to stand up and honor the founding spirit of this observance.  Historian Martha S. Jones,  told Axios what Carter G. Woodson would do:

Woodson didn’t wait for permission,” Jones said. “He established institutions, authored books, and ensured Black history was told despite barriers.”

And she adds:

“As heinous as book bans are, they’re not making history disappear.  The fight over history has always existed, but so has the resistance.”

Black History Month 2025 is a month of observance, but also of resistance.

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