Just shy of a century ago, on Feb. 7, 1926, American historian Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week to extend local gatherings honoring the deaths of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas into larger celebrations of the Black past.

Woodson believed that honoring Black history should not just honor these prolific leaders. Rather, he wanted to encourage all Americans to study and honor the Black men and women who go unseen yet contribute to the advancement of Black people and the human race overall. 

Woodson's creation would evolve 50 years later, in 1976, to become Black History Month. 

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the federal government's recongition of Black History Month, Michigan State University will be hosting a variety of events across campus throughout February.

Among the month's events: The College of Osteopathic Medicine will continue its Dr. William G. Anderson Lecture Series, "Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey" for their 26th year and the African Studies Center will hold a bi-weekly "Eye on Africa" seminar on cutting-edge knowledge on the continent of Africa. 

MSU will also feature four guest speakers, including Jelani Cobb, author, producer and dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York, and Bob Kendrick, writer and president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. 

Below is the full list of Black History Month events on campus:

Thursday, Feb. 5

5:30 p.m. — Annual Dr. William G. Anderson Lecture Series with Dean Jelani Cobb

Jelani Cobb is the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York. He is the author of several books on Black culture, including "To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic." To register to attend virtually or in person, visit the College of Osteopathic Medicine website.