The Origins of Black History Month

The origins of Black History Month lay in early 20th-century historian Carter G. Woodsons desire to spotlight the accomplishments of African Americans. Mainstream historians left out African Americans from the narrative of American history up until the 1960s, and Woodson worked his entire career to correct this blinding oversight. His creation of Negro History Week in 1926 paved the way for the establishment of Black History Month in 1976. Negro History Week In 1915, Woodson helped found the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (today known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History or ASALH). The idea for an organization devoted to black history came to Woodson as he was discussing the release of the racist film The Birth of a Nation. Discussing it with a group of African-American men at a YMCA in Chicago, Woodson convinced the group that African Americans needed an organization that would strive for a balanced history. The organization began publishing its flagship journal—The Journal of Negro History—in 1916, and ten years later, Woodson came up with the plan for a week of activities and commemorations devoted to African-American history. Woodson chose the week of February 7, 1926, for the first Negro History Week because it included the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12), celebrated for the Emancipation Proclamation that freed many American slaves, and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14). Woodson hoped that Negro History Week would encourage better relations between blacks and whites in the United States as well as inspire young African Americans to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of their ancestors. In The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933), Woodson lamented, Of the hundreds of Negro high schools recently examined by an expert in the United States Bureau of Education only eighteen offer a course taking up the history of the Negro, and in most of the Negro colleges and universities where the Negro is thought of, the race is studied only as a problem or dismissed as of little consequence. Thanks to Negro History Week, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History began to receive requests for more accessible articles. As a result, in 1937 the organization began publishing the Negro History Bulletin aimed at African-American teachers who wanted to incorporate black history into their lessons. Black History Month African Americans quickly took up Negro History Week, and by the 1960s, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, American educators, both white and black, were observing Negro History Week. At the same time, mainstream historians had begun to expand the American historical narrative to include African Americans (as well as women and other previously ignored groups). In 1976, as the US was celebrating its bicentennial, the ASALH expanded the traditional week-long celebration of African-American history to a month, and Black History Month was born. That same year, President Gerald Ford urged Americans to observe Black History Month, but it was President Carter who officially recognized Black History Month in 1978. With the federal governments blessing, Black History Month became a regular event in American schools. By the opening decade of the 21st century, however, some were questioning whether Black History Month should be continued, especially after the election of the nations first African-American president, Barack Obama, in 2008. For instance, in a 2009 article, commentator Byron Williams suggested that Black History Month had become trite, stale, and pedestrian rather than informative and thought provoking and served only to relegate the achievements of African Americans to an adjunct status in American history. But others continue to argue that the need for Black History Month has not disappeared. Historian Matthew C. Whitaker observed in 2009, Black History Month, therefore, will never be obsolete. It will always be in our best interest to pause and explore the meaning of freedom through the lived experiences of a people who forced America to be true to its creed and reaffirmed the American dream. Those who would eliminate Black History Month often miss the point. Woodson would no doubt be pleased by the expansion of the original Negro History Week. His goal in creating Negro History Week was to highlight African-American accomplishments alongside white American accomplishments. Woodson asserted in The Story of the Negro Retold (1935) that the book is not so much that of Negro history as it is universal history. For Woodson, Negro History Week was about teaching the contributions of all Americans and correcting a national historical narrative that he felt was little more than racist propaganda. Sources Carter G. Woodson: Father of Black History. Ebony. Vol. 59, no. 4 (February 2004): 20, 108-110.Dagbovie, Pero Gaglo. The early Black history movement, Carter G. Woodson, and Lorenzo Johnston Greene. Champaign, IL: The University of Illinois Press, 2007.Mayes, Keith A. Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition. New York: Taylor Francis, 2009.Whitaker, Matthew C. Black History Month Still Relevant for US. The Arizona Republic. 22 February 2009. Available online: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/2009/02/21/20090221whitaker22-vi p.htmlWoodson, Carter G. The Mis-Education of the Negro. 1933. Available online: http://historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/misedne.html.__________. The Story of the Negro Retold. The Associated Publishers, Inc., 1959.

A Tale of Two Cities Parallels in Characters, Classes,...

Charles Dickens utilizes doubles and contrasts to enhance the plot of Dickens uses parallels in characters, social classes, and events that compliment each other to strengthen the plot. Its themes of violence in revolutionaries, resurrection, and sacrifice also help support the story. Primarily, the characters in the book are foils for each other. One example is Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge. Lucie is a very gentle and loving woman. Everything that she does shows her kindness and virtue. Her tenderness and adoration for everyone empowers her to unite the family. For instance, when Lucie s father was in a horrible state of depression, the only cure for his sadness was the sight of Lucie s face and the touch of her skin. On the other†¦show more content†¦The Aristocrats, on the other hand, are extraordinarily wealthy in both power and money. They care none about the welfare of human beings other than themselves. They rule and enjoy France with much elegance and incredibly immense residences. Dickens writes, ...sentencing youth to have his hands cut off, his tongue torn out with pincers, and his body burned alive, because he had not kneeled down in the rain to do honour to a dirty procession of monks which passed within his view, atShow MoreRelatedTale Of Two Cities Juxtaposition Analysis980 Words   |  4 PagesJuxtaposition is the comparison of two things put close together. It is evident that the stylistic element of juxtaposition plays a pivotal role in Charles Dickens’ world renowned novel, A Tale of Two Cities. In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens utilizes juxtaposition to add a depth of meaning, specifically to illuminate socioeconomic disparities and unrest during the French Revolution, which is evident through the first chapter, the excessiveness aristocrats and the anguish of the peasants,Read MoreEssay on A Tale of Two Cities- A Historical fiction1889 Words   |  8 PagesA Tale of Two Cities- A Historical fiction A Tale of Two Cities is a novel categorized as historical fiction. Historical fiction is a composite material, with a portion of history embedded in a matrix of fiction. A Tale of Two Cities is appropriately titled, as the novel is the story of England and Revolutionary France; as a result it can be categorized as historical fiction. A Tale of Two Cities is parallel to history in many different respects. The English setting, and atmosphere, is similarlyRead MoreMan s Inhumanity Towards His Fellow Man1523 Words   |  7 PagesFellow Man The French Revolution, beginning in 1789, was a time of great change brought about by great necessity as a result of an even greater suppression and division of classes. A Tale of Two Cities, written by Charles Dickens, was published in 1859 as a reflective novel about the influential and relatively recent historical event. Shown in both the novel and in historical facts, the Revolution begins as an eruption of built up oppression over hundreds of years, but progresses into a more complexRead MoreCharles Dickens A Tale Of Two Cities1573 Words   |  7 PagesThe French Revolution is frequently referred to as one of the bloodiest time periods in history, being branded as an event that would evidently spawn ideals that were barely indulged in before and were built primarily on equality. The historical premise presented within Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities introduces similarities between the Revolutionaries he created, and of the prominence of the French Revolution, as well as t he Revolution itself; however, its representation of figures as well as societyRead MoreCharles Dickens A Tale Of Two Cities1573 Words   |  7 PagesThe French Revolution is frequently referred to as one of the bloodiest time periods in history, being branded as an event that would evidently spawn ideals that were barely indulged in before and were built primarily on equality. The historical premise presented within Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities introduces similarities between the Revolutionaries he created, and of the prominence of the French Revolution, as well as the Revolution itself; however, its representation of figures as well as societyRead MoreA Jazzy Look At Gatsby1669 Words   |  7 Pageswhen a book was written to describe the 1920s scene, no doubt there had to be dance, and lots of it. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the energy level of the parties, music, and dancing to represent a vast array of emotions within the characters. The 1920s was when dance truly flourished in America. In the earlier years of the 1900s dances like the Waltz and Foxtrot were considered scandalous, because it involved contact between the male and female partners. However, once these dancesRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1664 Words   |  7 Pageswhen a book was written to describe the 1920s scene, no doubt there had to be dance, and lots of it. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the energy level of the parties, music, and dancing to represent a vast array of emotions within the characters. The 1920s was when dance truly flourished in America. In the earlier years of the 1900s dances like the Waltz and Foxtrot were considered scandalous, because it involved contact between the male and female partners. However, once these dancesRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1458 Words   |  6 Pagesfarms into large cities. â€Å"Since The Great Gatsby is the defining novel of the Twenties, which have become trivialized and vulgarized by people†¦ it was necessary and useful to provide a corrective assessment of that era and Fitzgerald’s response to it† (XI). I personally believe Fitzgerald did just that. The development of Jay Gatsby’s character is all about rebirth and reinvigorating yourself; even if these developments are canards. Nonetheless, the tale of revival is a parallel belief echoed throughoutRead MoreCharles Dickens : A Social Critic And English Writer Essay2210 Words   |  9 PagesCharles Dickens (1812-1870) was a social criti c and English writer. Dickens generated some of globe’s most renowned fictional characters. He is viewed as the most remarkable writer of the Victorian period. Dickens’ works, during his life, enjoyed exceptional popularity. By 20th century, scholars and critics called him a literary genius. Dickens’ short stories and novels continue to be popular. Dickens was born in Portsmouth in England. He was forced to drop out of school following his father’s imprisonmentRead MoreThe French Revolution2967 Words   |  12 PagesThe setting alternates between various locations in France and England, taking place primarily in the cities of Paris and London respectively. Within each geographic location are specific recurring locations. In France, these include places such as the Defarge’s wine shop, the estate of the Marquis, and the Bastille. In England, these include places such as the courthouse, the Manette home, and Tellson’s Bank. The story spans se veral decades, from 1775 to 1793. This time period covers critical points

My Favorite Music Free Essays

Stankov 9/18/2012 ESL Writhing Prof. Tom Kane THIS IS MY MUSIC I have always been attracted to trance and house music, because when I was younger I was fascinated by its sound. It was like nothing I had heard before. We will write a custom essay sample on My Favorite Music or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was not often played on the radio, and is still not. But whenever I heard it, I knew that was the music that I was born to listen. I feel that I can appreciate different music styles because each one has something new to offer. I always listen to music when I drive, walk to class, or go to the gym. I also listen music at home on the television sometimes. There is not a day that passes by when I do not listen to music. Therefore, I believe that music has an extremely great influence on my thoughts, moods, and behavior. Different types of music can drastically alter my thoughts, moods, and behavior. I am my music. More appropriately, my music represents my eccentric nature. My love for house music is endless. I suppose you can say I am a fan of strange music but for me I`m fan of good music. In my opinion good music is a song that has the capability to create strong feelings. The good music can stimulates excitement, ecstasy or nostalgia, it is one that triggers an emotion. As far back as I can remember I have always loved good music and my ipod has always been my most faithful companion. The eclectic nature of my kind of music has taught me to never judge people superficially but view them in depth. I cannot describe myself very good at this point because of my lack of knowledge in English but what I can tell you that, my passion is house music. You can ask yourself is house music a â€Å"good music† or not. But I cannot wait to meet your ipod and try to define you by your type of music whether you are the ‘romantic’ or the ‘realist’. I would like to know if we like similar songs or have conflicting opinions on some and if you are not into music, I could maybe teach you to love and appreciate it and maybe we could stay up late some night with some food trying to rate and enjoy good music. How to cite My Favorite Music, Papers