Celebrating Black History Month

Carter G. Woodson

Good afternoon from a cold but sunny day in the city. Last night's commute was a disaster for many people in the Metropolitan area, and I hope everyone got home safely. At least there's no snow today.

During the month of February, we celebrate the achievements of African-Americans during Black History Month. This month-long celebration originated in 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson established "Negro History Week." Woodson was disturbed that history books ignored African-Americans. He decided to take on the challenge to include them in our nation's history. He chose the second week in February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Each year, Black History Month has a different theme. This year, it's "A Century of Black Life, History and Culture." 

W.E.B. DuBois

The month of February also marks some other significant in African-American history. 

• On February 3, 1870, the passage of the 15th Amendment granted blacks the right to vote.
• On February 12, 1909, the NAACP. was formed "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination." The organization was founded by W.E.B. DuBois and group of prominent civil rights activists to coincide with the 100th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth. Originally, the leadership of the organization was white and Jewish-American. In fact, the NAACP did not elect a black president until 1975.
• On February 1, 1960, a group of African-American college students in Greeensboro, NC staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Woolworth's. This is considered one of the major milestones of the civil rights movement.
• On February 21, 1965, militant leader Malcolm X was assassinated by a group of Black Muslims.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford extended "Negro History Week" to a month-long celebration and renamed it Black History Month. This coincided with the U.S. Bicentennial celebration. Canada also celebrates their Black History Month in February. In the U.K. this celebration occurs in October.

According to the most recent census, the black population the U.S. is about 45 million, with New York City having the largest number of residents (3.7 million). There are 106 historically-black institutions that grant degrees, including Howard University, Spelman, Florida A&M University, Morehouse, and Grambling.

Infoplease.com provides a  comprehensive timeline of events in African-American history.

BlackPast.org has published a very interesting list of the first African-Americans in many areas of achievement, from entertainment to law to business and labor. Some of these name, such as Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Oprah Winfrey, Ella Fitzgerald, and Barack Obama are familiar to us all, but many of these achievers are less well-known. We applaud them all!

For Black History Month events in your area, please check with your local cultural institutions and libraries. There are also several television programs dedicated to the celebration. Consult your TV listings for more information.

Fun Fact of the Day: Did you know that potato chips were invented by an African-American chef named George Crum in 1853? A customer from his restaurant had sent back French Fries because they were too thick. The chef cut a bunch of potatoes as thin as he could, and the potato chip was born!

Party Idea of the Day: The website Love to Know offers several ways in which students can celebrate Black History Month. Ideas range from a neighborhood street party to dramatic reenactments. 

Today's birthdays: Sean Kingston (25), Rebel Wilson (29), Jessica Harp (33), Daddy Yankee (39), Maura Tierney (50), Thomas Calabro (56), Nathan Lane (59), Morgan Fairchild (65), Melanie (68), Dave Davies (68), Dennis Edwards (72), Blythe Danner (72), and Shelley Berman (90).

Holidaze: On this day in 1959, rockers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper) were killed in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa. Twelve years later, Don McLean wrote about the "day the music died" in his song "American Pie." There are excellent biopics of two of the three musicians: "The Buddy Holly Story" (in which Gary Busey was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance) and "La Bamba," an account of the too-short life of Ritchie Valens. He was just 17 on that ill-fated day. Today has been declared "National the Day the Music Died Day."

Today is also National Carrot Cake Day. This isn't one of my favorite desserts, but I know several people who love it. Check out All Reckpes.com for variations to this treat.

More on Oscar Night and Valentine's Day tomorrow.

Have a PRINTASTIC Day!

Kathy