Have you ever asked yourself why Black History Month is held
in February, the shortest month of the year? I used to but being the student I
am, I decided to research the history. I found out that we only used to have a week
in February began by a man named Carter G. Woodson. Woodson was an amazing man.
He had hopes of raising awareness of African American's contributions to civilization
and in turn founded The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History
(ASNLH). The first Negro History Week was held in 1925 and encompassed the
births of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The celebration became very
popular and African people throughout America began to embrace their history and
teach their children and hold activities in celebration of their history. In
1976, the week was expanded to a month by President Gerald Ford. So, during
this month of our history, let’s truly recognize the accomplishments, focus on
our glorious past, and better prepare for our future. Our communities need
strong leadership and we desperately need unity. The statistics do not lie- our
children die more, our men are a largely disproportionate population in prison,
and our women are disenfranchised. Where do we begin? Complacency must go.
Awareness and focus is needed. Break the chains from your brains!! There is
never a bad time for change. Let’s start today. Know your history. There is no
way you can know where you are going until you know where you have been!
One Love,
Andre’a
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