Black History Month highlights the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans throughout history.
The Multicultural Student Center reflected that goal. In a Feb. 16 event called Past and Present Heroes, MSC honored African Americans from the 1800s to present day. It was a timeline that attendees walked through, with posters displayed on the walls and videos about historic African American figures.
The more popular people, like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Harriet Tubman, were included. There were also less well-known people that contributed to American society.
“What’s interesting is that when you go to school, what’s mandatory is American history, but if I want to learn about my own history, it’s an elective,” said Jalysa Wilson,
Throughout the month of February, Black History Month is celebrated. What was originally negro week, founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, and then later changed to Black History Month in 1976, by President Nixon, celebrates the lives and discoveries and impacts African-Americans have had on the U.S throughout history. Shukree Hassan Tilghman, the director of the documentary “More Than a Month,” explores the importance of black history and tries to get rid of Black History Month. The director’s message in “More Than a Month,” is that black history goes so much deeper than just a month of celebration, and to show true respect, Black history should be American history.
Carter Goodwin Woodson was born on December 19, 1875 and died on 1950. He had 6 other siblings. He was born in Virginia and grew up there. His father helped Union soldiers and his family was very poor and his father inspired him. Although his parents were illiterate but were very encouraging.
Jackie Robinson passed the law that black people could play in major leagues and made it right for blacks to play sports but it was not easy for him I Never Had It Made. Melba Beals was famous for letting black kids to go to all white schools Warriors Don’t Cry. Feng Ru brought planes to the coast and China Father of Chinese Aviation.
“Why don’t we have “White history Month?” Because white history month is every month other than February. The culture of power determines which version of history is told and retold.” Mr. Hanson, my high school social studies teacher always told us, “The winners get to decide how history is told.” I mean, prior to the Women’s Rights Movement, women were stuck in the home while men went to work and supported them, but then women were liberated and able to get jobs working outside of the home, right?
The Harlem Renaissance was a period of great cultural growth in the black community. It is accepted that it started in 1918 and lasted throughout the 1930s. Though named the ‘Harlem’ Renaissance, it was a country-wide phenomenon of pride and development among black Americans, the likes of which had never existed in such grand scale. Among the varying political actions and movements for equality, a surge of new art appeared: musical, visual, and even theatre. With said surge, many of the most well-known black authors, poets, musicians and actors rose to prevalence including Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Louis Armstrong, and Eulalie Spence.
The meaning of July fourth for the negro’s is a speech. Fredrick Douglass had produced it and created it. Fredrick Douglass had wrote the speech in the pre-civil war decade in 1850-1860. This speech was created in July the fifth in 1852. This speech was created for the slaves because what was the slaves for, for the Fourth of July.
"I think the black man in America wants to be recognized as a human being; and it 's almost impossible for one who has enslaved another to bring himself to accept the person who used to pull his plow, who used to be an animal, subhuman, who used to be considered as such by him-it 's almost impossible for that person in his right mind to accept that person as his equal." - Malcolm X The quote by Malcolm X is about how black man have never been recognized in the American society because of inequality and how invisible African Americans were in American society. The history of black man’s life in America started a very long time ago, in 1619 when African slaves people were brought to the North America. Since the beginning of the time
We deceided on Harriet Tubman as our influential person in history. We chose her because we both learned about her in grade school. We both really wanted to do a woman who was very influential in American History. We finally came to an agreement after many hours of researching women in American History. We almost chose Eleanor Roosevelt, but decided on Harriet Tubman because of her bravery.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, these are only a few people mentioned in class, but what about Claudette Colvin who nine months before Rosa Parks, decided not to get off the bus and was taken to jail, or Emmett Till who was 14 and brutally beaten and killed for whistling at a white woman. These are only a few who are not mentioned in our history books or classrooms. Students are taught mathematics, Science, World and American history because it is important. Black history is also important, it teaches the contribution African Americans have made in the past and continue making in the future.
The black community stood their ground, public figures like Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks fought for equality and made a difference. Unfortunately, some of these historical figures did not receive the attention they deserved. Enter Claudette Colvin,
Black History Month is a celebration in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people in history because it was when African americans fought for their rights and stood up for them and demanded equality. There's a lot of africans who were brave and who were famous for it like rosa parks, martin luther king, and frederick douglass and many more. Katherine G. Johnson is one of those brave people she was a pioneer in American space history. A NASA mathematician, Johnson's hard work has influenced every major space programs from Mercury through the Shuttle. She even calculated the flight path for the first American mission space.
In the 1940s, about 10 years prior to Woodson’s death, the state of West Virginia began celebrating Negro History Month. Nearly 20 years later, Midwestern cities would follow suit with creating opportunities to expand the celebration for the entire month of February. Chicago, Illinois cultural activist Frederic H. Hammurabi helped to organize the Negro History Month and began incorporating themes from African history in the celebration. The Black United Students at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio organized one of the first Black History Month celebrations on a college campus in February 1969. Seven years later, 1976, in celebration of the United States Bicentennial President Gerald Ford recognized the need to honor the accomplishments of African Americans.
Pick up a history book, flip through its pages, and find a section(s) dedicated to African Americans. There will be a supercut of slavery and a few inventors, enough to count on one’s hand. Ultimately, only the historical characters that are considered salient are provided, which are white educators, Presidents, legislators, advocates, inventors, etc. This issue engenders the remaining reason to advocate Black History Month. “Carter G. Woodson was the sole individual responsible for creating Negro History Week in Washington, D.C., in February 1926” (Edmondson).
Morgan Freeman doesn’t like that his race has its own month, and that’s understandable. However, Black History Month is a great way to help show that not all people are racist. Black History Month helps recompense for how racist some people can be. Times and events like this are an effective and necessary way to prevent racism. We may never get rid of racism, but if we continue to fight it, it will lessen.
There have been several people over the years who have made a significant impact on our country. These people continue to go down in history and we inform later generations of their significance. Today, we continue to get taught repeatedly how significant these people were to our nation. There is one man, by the name of Martin Luther King Jr, who made a huge impact to our country. He was a Baptist pastor who played an important role in the civil rights movement.