The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, the US president who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and Frederick Douglas, an African American orator, social reformer, writer, and abolitionist.
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This week was chosen because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and that of Frederick Douglass on February 14, both of which dates Black communities had celebrated together since the late 19th century. Negro History Week was the center of the equation.
The month of February has been selected primarily since the second week of the month coincided with both the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln as well as Frederick Douglass. As nothing more than a result, Woodson established Negro History Week which "commemorates the black history," according to ASALH.
