Black History Month began in 1915, a half-century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery. That year, Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, and prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded what is known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. This organization is dedicated to researching and promoting the achievements of Black Americans and other people of African descent. In 1926, the group sponsored a national Negro History week. In the decades that followed, cities across the country began recognizing Negro History Week. By the late 1960s, with the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, Negro History Week evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”