Celebrating Black History Month

February is Black History Month, dedicated to celebrating African Americans' cultural heritage and achievements throughout history, while recognizing the ongoing struggle for racial justice. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) said this year the theme for Black History Month is "The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity." Historian Carter G. Woodson established the precursor to Black History Month in 1926 by dedicating a week; in 1976, former President Gerald Ford expanded the week into Black History Month. Many have utilized Black History Month to call for racial justice and to continue to speak about the events black communities in the U.S. have faced in the past year, including deaths and job losses from COVID-19, police brutality and the killing of George Floyd, which prompted nationwide protests and the spread of the Black Lives Matter Movement. While cities and communities typically host events throughout the month to celebrate, the COVID-19 pandemic caused most of the celebrations to become virtual this year. Outlets from across the political spectrum are covering Black History Month. Right- and center-rated outlets tended to detail the history of Black History Month, as well as the issues the black community continues to face; some center-rated outlets used the holiday to call for the nation to move forward in unity. Some voices from the left continued to use the month to call for racial justice, while other left-rated outlets are publishing a series of articles throughout the month focusing on different aspects of the black community and black history.