Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements and contributions of Black, African, and African American communities during the month of February. Born in 1875 in the state of Virginia, Carter G. Woodson, a distinguished Black author, editor, publisher, and historian, dedicated his life to the study of the African diaspora and maintained historical records of Black life and achievements globally. Woodson launched Negro History Week in February 1926 to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. This concept was later expanded into Negro History Month, and more than two decades after Woodson's death, U.S. President Gerald Ford wrote a message urging Americans to recognize Black History Month. Finally, in 1986, U.S. Congress passed a Public Law to officially designate the month of February as National Black History Month.

In 2019, 46.8 million people in the U.S. identified their race as Black, either alone or as part of a multiracial or ethnic background. This includes many who are descendants of enslaved Africans as well as those who are immigrants. Innumerable contributions to this country's development of principles of justice, freedom, and equity can be traced back to Black communities' resilience and persistence. In the UNM HSC Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, we believe that Black cultural enrichment within our country, and more locally, The University of New Mexico, should be celebrated and more recognized widely.

Schedule of Events

3PM: Rebellion, Resistance, Retention at SUB Ballroom C

12:00pm - 1:00 PM: Without Permission or Apology: The Life and Career of Mary Edmonia Lewis at Virtually on Zoom

Join Kirsten Pai Buick, Ph.D., Professor of Art History and Chair of the Department of Africana Studies at UNM, as she discusses with participants her novel titled "Child of the Fire: Mary Edmonia Lewis and the Problem of Art History's Black and Indian Subject."

Dr. Buick will illustrate how 19th century mixed African-American and Native American (Mississauga Ojibwe) artist Mary Edmonia Lewis, also known as "Wildfire," navigated how her art was perceived, and how she created distinctly "American" art touching upon themes of indigeneity, sentimentality, gender, and race.

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