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The Origin of Black History Month

Black History Month is a holiday that seems to be easily forgotten.  This holiday does not get as much recognition as perhaps it should get. February is the month that recognizes African Americans and what they have done for us.

Black history month was started by a man named Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Woodson chose the second week in February because Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas both celebrated birthdays during this week and both had a huge impact on the lives of African Americans.

Lincoln was the president who signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 which led to the abolition of slavery in 1863. Douglass was a slave himself and was born in 1817 and taken away from his mother when he was an infant. He escaped slavery in his early 20’s.

Douglass was a very intelligent man. He was an activist to women’s rights and an advisor to Lincoln. He and Lincoln always discussed the issue of slavery. One of Douglass’s phrases is, “If there is no struggle, then there is no progress.”

Carter G. Woodson was a Ph.D. scholar from Harvard University whose parents were formerly enslaved. In 1916 he established the Journal for African Americans and the Association for the Study of African Americans.

Woodson wanted the African Americans to be recognized he felt like they were ignored, as they rarely seen in school books, and if they did appear they were just seen as slaves. They went through so much and never received recognition for that. This holiday recognizes all that they have done for us.

President Barack Obama, shows one of the latest African American achievements in history. He is the first ever African American President. Black History Month celebrates the accomplishments of Black people in the U.S. in the fields of medicine, law, science and history. And even in dance, art and music. Following this it celebrates African Americans who play in sports like basketball, baseball, and football. We also recognize  African Americans who have fought in every major U.S. war, including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

African Americans have done a lot of greatness in our world and a lot of times are not fully thanked and recognized. One of the biggest achievements of the African Americans came with the Presidency of Obama and they are looking forward to accomplishing many more great things in the future.

 

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Krista is the Executive Broadcaster and a Staff Reporter, and has spent three full semesters at Hawk Headlines. She is Italian and loves Ariana Grande.

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