KCAU 9's Honoring Black History special
KCAU 9 is celebrating the highlighting siouxland's African-American history-makers of Siouxland, both past and present with a Honoring Black History Special.
Watch a replay of KCAU 9's Honoring Black History special in the player above.
While Black History Month was first designated in 1976 by President Gerald Ford, the history of the month dates back almost a century, and the way it is celebrated and evolved has created history in itself.
Black History Month wasn't always a monthlong celebration. Historian and author Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week in February 1926. The weeklong celebration efforted to teach people about African-American history and the contributions of Black people.
This effort was made under the umbrella of an organization he founded in September 1915 called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, or ASALH.
Why is Black History Month the shortest of the year?
The celebratory week was set in February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln. Douglass, whose birthday is Feb. 14, was an escaped slave and influential abolitionist. His 1845 autobiography is still taught in U.S. schools today. Lincoln, born Feb. 12, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all enslaved people free in the Confederate states.
After Woodson passed away in 1950, the members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, which Dr. Woodson was a member of, did a lot of groundwork to encourage celebrating the week. The fraternity was also responsible for the push to extend the celebrations to a full month. Eventually, in 1976, President Gerald Ford became the first president to issue a message recognizing the month.
Stories highlighting local impacts can be found below.
The Sioux City Ghosts softball team entertained crowds from Iowa to the west coast, Canada and Mexico from 1925 to 1956. They were dubbed the 'Harlem Globetrotters' of softball.
Click here to read the full story.
Sandra Pearson and her husband Andrew have dedicated their free time to bringing unity and harmony to Siouxland. While some may not have heard about the MLK choir, it's been around for over 40 years.
Click here to read the full story.
Black-owned businesses are thriving across America, and the same is true in Siouxland. While some are home-grown, others are adding to our culinary landscape with recipes form afar.
Click here to read the full story.
For more stories about Black History Month, visit our Honoring Black History page.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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