Since 1919

The Prairie News

Since 1919

The Prairie News

Since 1919

The Prairie News

Black History Month

 

 

Frederick Douglas
Frederick Douglas

Every year in February, the nation celebrates black history and the priceless contributions that the African American society has made to the culture and history of the United States of America. African Americans have come a very long way since the slave trading during the time of our forefathers. They have made many significant contributions that made America the nation it is today. They went through an era of oppression and racism and fought the long hard battle to end it and earn civil rights as citizens of the nation. Black History Month was started in order to educate the citizens of the nation about the cultural backgrounds and achievements of African Americans.

 

In 1926, NAACP Historian and legendary educator, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, originally started Black History Month as Negro History Week. His rationale for starting this phenomenon was that during that period, black history and the contributions of the African-American society towards the birth of America was simply omitted from the history books and was not taught in schools. Therefore, there was a need to create something to educate people and to honor the accomplishments of blacks in every area of endeavor. Woodson chose the second week of February because it coincided with the birthdays of two men who made significant contributions towards the freedom of slaves.

These two men are Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The creation of the Negro History Week inspired schools, communities and churches to hold local celebrations and other events in commemoration of the week. As the years went by, government officials in cities began issuing yearly proclamations recognizing Negro History Week. In 1976, due in part to the Civil Rights Movement and awareness of black identity, Negro History Week became Black History Month. Since then, every president has designated February as Black History Month and approves a theme for it.

From 1619, when the first African slaves were brought to America to date, African Americans have made accomplishments in every area and have had large contribution towards America as a nation. African Americans have come a long way in the struggle for civil rights. From Harriett Tubman who helped slaves escape in 1849, to the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education that ended segregation, to the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States in 2008, there is a continuous need to celebrate and remember the achievements of African Americans in the history of America. On the founding of Negro History Week in 1926, Dr. Woodson said “we should emphasize not Negro History, but the Negro in history. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate, and religious prejudice.”

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