By Jothi Ravindran, D’Evelyn Foundation Board Member As communities across the nation celebrate Black History and as we follow the D’Evelyn call to “prepare [our] students for roles as active, informed citizens” throughout the month of February, it is valuable to take a look back at where the celebration began. Harvard scholar and historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson, known as the “Father of Black History,” began promoting what was then called Negro History Week in 1926 during the second week of February to celebrate the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln — two men who made positive and enduring contributions to America and its black communities. Over the ensuing decades, it has evolved into a four-week-long celebration of African American History, which is far too often ignored or under-represented in the telling of American history. Almost from the beginning, Mr. Woodson knew it would be important to have an annual theme for Black History Month, so this tradition began in 1928. The 2020 theme is African Americans and the Vote, as this year coincides with the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment, which gave African American men the right to vote in the wake of the Civil War, and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote in 1920. Even after the 15th Amendment’s passage in 1870, the ability of African Americans in the South to vote was consistently undermined until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, fifty-five years ago, which is still used in court battles today. Black History Month became a month-long annual celebration first acknowledged by the US Federal Government in 1976 under President Gerald Ford, who called upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Learn more about African American History Month by visiting these resources: Ted Talks to Celebrate Black HistoryHistory.comAssociation for the Study of African American Life and History Comments are closed.
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The D'Evelyn Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation. The Board of Directors oversees the finances, legal issues and long-term strategic plans of the organization Archives
May 2023
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