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Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African Diaspora. Since 1976, it has been celebrated annually in the United States.

Black History Month actually started as Negro History Week February 12, 1926, by Carter G. Woodson. The goal of Negro History Week was to educate Blacks about their cultural and African background and instill in them a sense of pride in the original race.

But Black History Month sparks an annual debate about the continued usefulness of a month dedicated to the history of the original race. Several journalists argue the advantages and disadvantages of emphasizing one month of the year to promote African American history.

Talk show host Tavis Smiley is one of those who say it is “silliness” to discuss whether the focus on African history is still relevant in the Obama era.

“Barack Obama didn’t just fall out of the heavens one day,” Smiley said. “There’s a 400-year backstory that makes this era of Obama possible, and that’s history worth celebrating.”

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