By Megan Jicha

Throughout the month of February, Northeastern and other organizations around Boston and across the globe will pay tribute to influential blacks and black culture as a whole.

Some events Northeastern will be holding are “The Souls of Black Folk” today in the Blackman Auditorium – an event filled with music, poetry and dance – and a presentation from Carol B. Stack about “Black Return Migration to the Rural South” on both Feb. 27 and Feb. 28 in 440 Egan Center.

The African-American Master Artists in Residency Program will also be holding an art exhibit and film and discussion series throughout the month in the Curry Student Center.

Black History Month was founded as Negro History Week by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Woodson chose the second week of February for this celebration because it included the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. It wasn’t until the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1976 that the celebration extended from a week to an entire month.

“Woodson hoped that the celebration would help blacks overcome their inferiority complex and instill racial pride and optimism,” said Robert Hall, a professor of African-American studies. “Black History Month also helps people from all different cultures to become a little more knowledgeable about African-American history and culture.”

Matt Brown, a middler entrepreneurship major, said he feels schools don’t do enough to teach black history.

“Usually, Black History Month celebrates the accomplishments of the civil rights movement but doesn’t go much beyond that,” Brown said. “Schools and the media highlight the actions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, but that’s about it. Very few people actually know about Medgar Evers or the real stances behind Malcolm X or Muhammed Ali. Not enough is done throughout the month of February, or the entire year for that matter.”

Additionally, Rebecca Torcia, a freshman psychology major, said although Black History Month is great, she wishes people would continue to celebrate black culture throughout the year.

“It’s great that during Black History Month people become more aware of all of the great things African-Americans have done,” she said. “But on the other hand, it is unfortunate that some people only recognize African-American history during this month.”

Hall also feels black history should be celebrated for more than 28 days.

“African-American history is not something that can be put on display solely during the month of February and then put in a box for storage until the following February,” Hall said. “[African-American history] is an integral part of American history and the history of African peoples is an integral part of world history.”