Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month along with a specific theme. This year’s theme “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity” explores the African diaspora and the spread of Black families across the United States. The impact African Americans have made on our county and across our country is part of our collective consciousness. Celebrating Black History Month during February provides us with the opportunity to draw people of every race into the grand and diverse story of our nation. I encourage all of us to take this opportunity to recognize where we are and where we need to go to create and sustain positive and impactful change in our community. You can find a list of events being offered in Utah in celebration of the month here.