Americans Deserve True Black History, Not Lies From The 1619 Project February 19, 2021 When I attended last year’s White House Black History Month reception, it appeared few of us took note that it was the 50th anniversary of such observances. Then George Floyd and Black Lives Matter happened, seemingly changing things forever—particularly a reevaluation of the black experience. Concerted efforts to commemorate black history go back almost a century. In 1926, black historian Carter G. Woodson designated the second week in February as “Negro History Week.” He selected the days between the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln on the 12th and Frederick Douglass on the 20th.