By JESSICA BADIA
Black History Month, celebrated during the month of February, is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of African Americans and the central role they’ve played in U.S. history.
Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the creation of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent black leaders. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history.
“ It feels empowering, it is important to revisit history and hopefully take what we have learned and use it to make our modern world a better place,” said Matthew Granville, 18, of Ramapo College. Granville takes pride in honoring the struggles his ancestors went through so he could have all that he does today.
Origins of Black History Month
The story of Black History Month began in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by black Americans and other people of African descent.
Known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to correlate with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures.
“During this month I just feel accomplished and proud of the sacrifice my ancestors made so that I could have a better life and more opportunities than them,” said Lee Crutcher, 21, of Ramapo College. Crutcher believes that progress has been made toward the issue of race in our country, but we still have a long way to go.
Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and honored a specific theme. The theme for 2020 is “ African Americans and the Vote, in honor of the Nineteenth Amendment which granted women’s suffrage and the Fifteenth Amendment giving black men the right to vote.
In the Radical Reconstruction period that followed the Civil War, newly freed black men made great political gains, winning office in Southern state legislatures and even Congress. The Southern backlash was swift and marked by the passage of “black codes” designed to intimidate black voters, prompting a call for formal, national legislation on the right to vote, according to The Current.
“Black History Month to me is more than just a month to appreciate what our ancestors have sacrificed for us, but it is an ongoing fight for equality within race,” said Niara Rowe, 20, of Ramapo College. Rowe hopes the strides being made toward equality will give future generations a better life, just as her ancestors did for her.
Interesting read. Black History Month in my opinion is so crucial to our understanding and appreciation of African American culture and allows us to become more aware of who they are and how they have progressed as a society. I liked how you included different perspectives from Ramapo students who are primarily in our generation. It would have been nice to hear older voices as well maybe someone in your community or even professors or someone from the Black Student Union here on campus. Maybe also include a couple more links to help supplement the story. All in all, a great read! 🙂
Also maybe include some social media too, thanks!