Negro History Week

English

Etymology

First declared in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. This week was chosen because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and of Frederick Douglass on February 14, both of which dates black communities had celebrated together since the late 19th century.

Proper noun

Negro History Week

1. (obsolete, now historical, US) The second week of February, declared for observance of the history of the African diaspora in the United States. Celebrated until the foundation of Black History Month in the 1970s.