log cabin representing his birthplace, Lincoln as a young man reading while sitting on a log that he was taking a break from splitting, Lincoln as a state legislator in front of the Illinois Capitol, and the partially built dome of the U.S. Capitol. New Jersey started observing the holiday on May 23, 2008 with the enactment of the Public Employee Pension and Benefits Reform Act of 2008. Origin of Black History Month Black History Month has its origin in 19th-century celebrations of Lincoln's Birthday by African-American communities in the United States. By the early 20th century, black communities were annually celebrating Lincoln's birthday in conjunction with the birthday of former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass on February 14. The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced that the second week of February would be "Negro History Week" to coincide with the traditional Black commemorations of both men's birthdays. By the 1970s, "Negro History Week" had become "Black History Month". Black History Month has expanded further to Canada, where it is also celebrated in February, and to the United Kingdom, which celebrates it in October. Official government holidays Lincoln's Birthday was never a U.S. Federal Government holiday. The third Monday in February remains only "Washington's Birthday" in federal law. However, many state governments have officially renamed their Washington's Birthday state holiday as "Presidents' Day", "Washington and Lincoln Day", or other such designations which explicitly or implicitly celebrate Lincoln's birthday. Regardless of the official name and purpose, celebrations and commemorations on or about the third Monday often include honoring Lincoln. In Connecticut, Missouri and Illinois, while Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, Lincoln's Birthday is still a state holiday, falling on February 12 regardless of the day of the week. California still lists Lincoln's Birthday as a holiday, but as of 2009 no longer gives State employees a paid holiday on February 12. However, it is considered a "Court holiday" and state courts are closed. In the following states, the third Monday in February is an official state holiday and known as: Using "president" Presidents' Day in Hawaii, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont and Washington President's Day in Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming Presidents Day in Michigan,