Another Black History Month...Man Please!!!!

Why do Blacks celebrate Black History Month? Why February, why the shortest month of the year. Why just one month? Lets see

Why do Blacks celebrate Black History Month? Why February, why the shortest month of the year. Why just one month?

Well let’s tackle these questions as we also clear up any misconception that Europeans gave Blacks this history month. It actually spun from Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a visionary person who believed that history should be used as a source of motivation and a weapon against misinformation and the intellectual warfare against black people in the diaspora. It was originated as “Negro History Week”, February of 1926, in which he chose that month due to the births of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. He acknowledged Lincoln for at least signing the Emancipation Proclamation (1863), and he naturally believed that Frederick Douglass was an example of resiliency, strength, and determination for all black people. Dr. Woodson was a passionate learner that also founded and published the Journal of Negro History, while being a regular columnist for Marcus Garvey. In 1915 he founded the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History in which its mission was “to promote research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information about Black life, history, and culture to the global community. In his lifetime he wrote over 20 books, with his most famous work being the Mis-Education of the Negro (1933) still providing relevance to scholars today. Dr. Woodson being a graduate of Harvard and a Professor at Howard saw first-hand how African American contributions were being overlooked, suppressed, or simply ignored by writers of textbooks as well as teachers.

Dr. Woodson came from a world of academia, so he became very critical how the system of higher education dealt with black people. He believed they were pushing out educated servants that were thoroughly indoctrinated, not people who could return to their community to advance their people to create their own. Instead the system was producing individuals that would depend on the same people that subjugated them. Dr. Woodson spent his entire life motivating Black people with their history. Sadly, Dr. Woodson died April 3rd of 1950 at the age of 74. As his legacy lives on, Black history month was never intended to restrict the learning of Black history to just February; it was simply a way to collectively wake up Black consciousness from what wasn’t being taught. Dr. Woodson understood that Blacks could not rely on any institution or any other race to teach Blacks about Blacks. This attitude would continue to be reverberated as I recall it was Malcolm X who stated “only a fool would let his enemy teach his children.” This is why Dr. Woodson devoted his entire life to writing Black history for Black people. For that reason, this great ancestor I honor, thank you Dr. Carter G. Woodson.

Thanks for reading,

Educator Derrick CEO Caples

Reviews

[Kimiko Watson]

Thank you very much for this interesting and informative piece. I have learnt a lot.

[CEOCaples]

I thank you as well

[T.S. Sky]

This is great information. Education is always important. Thank you for writing.

[Hebe]

History is necessary.... to learn and advance and yet we have not advanced that much! That's why it's important to spread the word with every opportunity we can.... one person at a time, can make miracles happen. Keep writing!

[CEOCaples]

Thank you, will do

[Valentine]

I think most people of all colors and nations could learn a lot if they just knew more of the history in their own family and bloodline. Having Jewish blood, after WW 2. My family said their nationality was French. Come to find out not one drop of French in our blood line. Why continue to live in the past. Make the most of each day that God gives you. Valentine