In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History teamed up to declare the second week of February as “Negro History Week.” They chose this week because it encompassed the birthday of two important figures in black history, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

In 1970, the leaders of Black United Students at Kent State decided to expand the week into a month-long festival, and six years later, on the year of the bicentennial, Black History Month became officially recognized by the federal government.

With its crucial role in the initial celebration of Black History Month, we set out to document some of Kent State’s black history and feature the students, faculty and staff who paved the way for future generations of Kent State students.