Celebrating Black History Month
Black History Month 2025
Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. National Black History Month has its origins in 1915, when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Black History Month became official in the US in 1986 when Congress passed Public Law 99-244, which designated February 1986 as "National Black (Afro-American) History Month.” The law directed the president to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe February 1986 as Black History Month with the appropriate ceremonies and activities.
In Illinois, the 2025 theme, Legacy and Impact, for Black History Month pays homage to Illinois' rich Black history and celebrates the economic and cultural contributions of Black Illinoisans. Throughout history, Black Americans have made invaluable contributions to the field of public health. Some notable contributions were made by individuals such as Charles Drew, who pioneered blood transfusion practices and is known as the "father of the blood bank," William Hinton, who developed a widely used syphilis diagnostic test, and Marilyn Hughes Gaston, whose research on sickle cell disease led to nationwide newborn screening; these contributions have improved healthcare access and treatment for many diseases across the population.
Learn more about Black Americans who have contributed significantly to the advancement of public health.
Celebrating Notable African Americans in Public Health - Trust for Amerca's Health
Black History Public Health - BMCC, CUNY.edu
Black Public Heatlh Heroes Who Made -- and are Making History - John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Black History Month - National Academy of Medicine
February is Black History Month - A collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
Public Health Related Books for Black History Month
Medical Apartheid, Harriet Washington
The Gardener’s Tale, Camara Jones
Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson
The Political Determinants of Health, Daniel E. Dawes
Main Street, Mindy Fullilove