The month of February is African American History month, celebrating the central role African Americans have played in American society. This month is dedicated to raising awareness not only to the hardships they have faced, but also to the many accomplishments they have achieved. After many decades of tribulation, African Americans were finally recognized for their contribution to the unique culture of America.
How did African American History Month come to be?
The official website for African American History Month, states that Carter G. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) to raise awareness of African American achievements. The ASNLH established Negro History week in 1925, celebrating Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.* This event garnered a great deal of support and traffic. By 1950, Negro History Week became a part of African American life. The Black Awakening (1960s) and the Civil Rights Movement further catapulted the support of African Americans. The Law Library of Congress describes that President Ford called the American people to "recognize the important contribution made to our nation's life and culture by black citizens." The Law Library of Congress also provides documents from the Legislative and Executive branches, along with presidential proclamations and messages on the observance of African American History Month. The U.S. Department of Labor states that "the entire nation had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the American story. In 1976, Negro History week developed into African American History month. Since then, it has been celebrated and acknowledged by every president.
*(The ASNLH is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.)
African American History
These federal government websites give an overview of African American history in the U.S.:
The National Park Service
The National Park Service notes that "between the 1600s and 1800s, over twelve million enslaved Africans were shipped to the New World." The slaves largely performed manual labor and were subject to horrendous conditions. Thus from slavery, prejudice and injustice formed.
Slavery was most predominant in the South, because the agricultural economy depended on manual labor. The North began to reject slavery and provided a refugee for runaway slaves. The tension over slaves ensued the Civil War. The South fought to keep their slaves, while the North fought to free them. The History Channel web page explains on September 22nd, President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all slaves "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."
After the Civil War, African Americans got a glimpse of justice when the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were drafted. According to the United States Senate, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," and the 15th Amendment "prohibited states from disenfranchising voters on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Discrimination and segregation continued until the Civil Rights Movement which came many years later.
National Archives
The National Archive website " holds a wealth of material documenting the African American experience, and highlights these resources online, in programs, and via traditional and social media." Blogs, videos, documents, exhibits, and other educational resources are recorded in the National Archives to preserve the history and culture of African Americans.
For additional information and resources:
Smithsonian Education: Black History Teaching Resources
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/resource_library/african_american_resources.html
National Park Service: "Park sites dedicated to African American history and culture, museum exhibits, travel itineraries, and histories/interviews of famous African Americans."
https://www.nps.gov/aahistory/
National Archives: African American History
https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/african-american-history
National Endowment for the Humanities: Black History Month Teaching Resources
https://edsitement.neh.gov/feature/edsitements-guide-black-history-month-teaching-resources
-by Emily Hancz
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