Black History Month: a time to reflect upon the contributions made by African-Americans and honor those who have fought for equal rights throughout the years.
     The month started in 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson proposed an observance to honor the deeds of African-Americans. 
     He called it Negro History Week, and it was called that until the 1970s, when it was renamed Black History Week. 
     Woodson chose the second week of February because it is the birthday of former slave, author and abolitionist Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14), as well as the birthday of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (Feb 12). 
     In 1976, it was expanded to Black History Month in the United States. 
     Some important events that occured during this month are: 
     Feb. 23, 1868, W. E. B. DuBois, important civil rights leader and co-founder of the NAACP, was born; Feb. 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment was passed, granting African-Americans the right to vote; Feb. 25, 1870, the first African American U.S. Senator, Hiram R. Revels (1822-1901), took his oath of office; Feb. 12, 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded by a group of concerned citizens in New York City; Feb. 1, 1960, in what would become a civil-rights movement milestone, a group of black Greensboro, N.C., college students began a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter; Feb. 21, 1965, Malcolm X, the leader who promoted Black Nationalism, was killed .
     In celebration of the month, the Center for Social Concerns and the Office of Service-Learning is sponsoring the film, “By the People:  The Election of Barack Obama” followed by a short discussion with Andre Horton, director of the Erie NAACP. 
     Horton was the director of Obama’s Erie campaign. 
     The film will be held at 7 p.m. Monday in Room 104 of the Zurn Science Center.