African-American History Month: February 2010

Black History Month. The Black History Month is celebrated annually in the United States in the month of February. To recall and celebrate the positive contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, American historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week in the 1920's. The first celebration occurred on Feb. 12, 1926. In 1976, as part of the nation’s bicentennial, the week was expanded into Black History Month. Dr. Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Hence February was extended to a month-long celebration in 1976. Today Black History Month is an opportunity to emphasize the history and achievements of African Americans. Without Woodson, the creator of Negro History Week, there probably would not be a Black History Month.

But February is also known for other events throughout American history - in addition to Douglass and Lincoln - to show for its significance in black American history. For example:

—February 23, 1868: W.E.B. DuBois, important civil rights leader and co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was born.
—February 3, 1870: The 15th Amendment was passed, granting blacks the right to vote.
—February 25, 1870: The first black U.S. senator, Hiram Rhodes Revels, took his oath of office.
—February 12, 1909: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded by a group of concerned black and white citizens in New York City.
—February 1, 1960: In what would become a civil-rights movement milestone, a group of black Greensboro, North Carolina, college students began a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter.
—February 21, 1965: Malcolm X, the militant leader who promoted Black Nationalism, was shot to death by three Black Muslims.

History books had barely started covering black history when the tradition of Black History Month was started. At that point, most representation of blacks in history books was only in reference to the low social position they held, with the exception of George Washington Carver.

In the most recent event, that marks a date in the American and African-American history calendar, which took place four years ago - in January 30, 2006 - civil rights pioneer and the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Coretta Scott King, passed away at the age of 78. Mrs. King led the successful campaign to establish Dr. King's birthday, January 15, as a national holiday in the United States. She was also invited by President Clinton to witness the historic handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yassir Arafat at the signing of the Middle East Peace Accords in 1993. She remained active in the causes of racial and economic justice, and in her remaining years devoted much of her energy to AIDS education and curbing gun violence. Like her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Coretta King remains an inspirational figure to men and women around the world.

In the United Kingdom, Black History Month is celebrated in the month of October. The official guide to Black History Month in the UK is published by Sugar Media, Ltd., who produce 100,000 copies nationwide.

One other remarkable and very important African-American to make a contribution to the Black-American history, was America’s first black woman millionaire, Madam H.S. Walker, who made her fortune with the invention of hair care products specifically tailored to black women. This self-made millionaire also had a hand at revolutionizing the way black women styled their hair by combining the use of the hot comb with her hair care products.

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