Spotlighting Black History Month

Black History Month, formerly recognized as Negro History Week, began the second week of February in 1926. Carter G. Woodson, who was a historian and co-founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, played an integral role in establishing Black History Month. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford extended the week-long display to a month-long officially recognized event to provide more awareness of the contributions and achievements of Black Americans in U.S. History. Each year, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History designates a theme for Black History Month. The theme for 2024 is African Americans and the Arts. In recognition of Black History Month, please see the information below.

• In 2022, 34 percent of African-American owners of firms with employees have advanced degrees.
• In 2019, Black business owners owned 3,589,567 businesses.
• In 2019, Black-owned businesses employed 1,273,002 Americans.

Advocacy outreach and resources:

• African American Entrepreneurs: Contributions and Challenges
• The Impacts of COVID-19 on Racial Disparities in Small Business Earnings
• Community and Resilience – The Soul of the Nation’s Economy
• Sweet Dreams Come True