The National African American History Month, also known as the Black History Month, is a yearly celebration where everyone in the United States of America we recognize the main role the African Americans in history and celebrate the numerous achievements of the black Americans.
This month of February, as we commemorate this wonderful occasion, let’s take a moment to look back at some of the most important events that lead to this celebration.
The History
Black History Month had its beginnings in 1925 when Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson, together with the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (an organization that is committed to recognizing the achievements of black Americans and people with African descent), conceived and announced the importance of having a Negro History Week. He believed that reason would prevail over justice and that truth could not be denied.
A year later, the event was first celebrated on the second week of February, in harmony with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event was welcomed by the masses. It had prompted schools and communities all over the nation to create history clubs, plan and hold special events and host seminars, with support coming from various philanthropists and scholars. The event was so successful that the mayors all over the country endorsed it as a holiday for the next decades.
In 1976, the Negro History Week has been expanded to the Black History Month, when during the nation’s bicentennial, President Gerald R. Ford encouraged that citizens to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” On that same year, 50 years after Negro History Week was declared by Woodson, the association celebrated the first African American History Month.
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Black History Month 2013 Theme: At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality
Finally with time, the U.S nation has come to understand the importance of the Black history in the course of the American story. For this year, the theme for the celebration is At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington. This is to recognize and remember two very important events in the history of the United States and the African Americans – the Emancipation Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.
Happy Black History Month to all.
This post was written by Jemea Kuoh from Dalekh World
Jemea Bio : Founder/CEO of Dalekh – Internet Entrepreneur, Digital Marketer / WebInnovator.
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