The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historian Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of American blacks in the nation’s public schools.
I think that many black people don’t celebrate their heritage or history in this country enough and conform and assimilate to the euro centric standard. How many black people know what tribe they descended from? How many black people celebrate Kwanzaa? How many black people know of Huey P. Newton, Alex Haley and others? How many black people know in detail of the Trans Atlantic Slave trade? Not many and not enough.
African-American Facts for Week of: October 5th
October 5, 1867
Monroe Baker, a well-to-do Black businessman
Monroe Baker, a well-to-do Black businessman, named mayor of St. Martin, Louisiana. He was probably the first Black to serve as mayor of a town.
October 6, 1917
Activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, born, 1917
Activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, was an American voting rights activist and civil rights leader. She was instrumental in organizing Mississippi Freedom Summer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and later became the Vice-Chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, attending the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in that capacity.
October 7, 1993
Writer, Toni Morrison
Writer, Toni Morrison, awarded the Nobel Prize in literature, 1993.
October 8, 1775
Council of general officers
Council of general officers decided to bar slaves and free Blacks from Continental Army.
October 8, 1941
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson was born in Greenville, SC. (minister, civil rights leader, political activist).
October 9, 1984
W. Wilson Goode
W. Wilson Goode becomes the 1st African American mayor of Philadelphia.
October 10, 1966
Founding of the Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party Founded October 10, 1966 Oakland, Ca. by Huey P. Newton & Bobby Seale.
October 11, 1939
NAACP organizes
NAACP organizes the Education Fund and Legal Defense, 1939. Yes Black History is still very important. If not celebrated we lose all identity of who we are and where we come from and see only the history of told in or school as our own when it is so much more rich than that.
About Annette:
To me, the omission of any group from history teachings results in a limited understanding of history’s relationship with the present and future. Know your history.
Comments, I can be reached at:
Twitter: @Annette92J
