It was first celebrated during the second week of February in 1926. The group selected the month of February to coincide with the birthdays of both President Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and abolitionist Frederick Douglass (February 14). During the next 50 years, Black History Week grew in popularity. Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today.