February is Black
History Month, a time to focus the limelight on Americans of African descent. It started out as Negro History Week in 1926 with the aim
of educating Americans on African American history. It is also known as African-American History Month in the US. It is also celebrated in Canada in February.
In the United Kingdom, Black History Month is observed in October.
In
the US and Canada, different events and activities are staged throughout the
whole month of February in observance of Black History Month. In schools,
African American history is given much emphasis in all levels from elementary
to university level. Media, print, radio, television and the Internet have
their own programs centering on African American history and other related
subjects. Focus is placed on black Americans who have made their mark in
government, education, media, literature, medicine, business, sports, and other
important fields. Their contributions serve as inspirations to fellow African
Americans and non-African Americans.
African
Americans seem to have come full
circle
– from slavery to presidency. Hawaii-born Barack Hussein Obama, whose father hails from Kenya, is the United States'
44th president. But before President Obama's ascendancy to the White House,
there were many other African Americans who broke the glass ceiling in
different fields. And these pioneering men and women should be remembered for
their contributions to black history.
From Week to Month
Carter
G. Woodson was the Harvard-educated historian who founded the organization
called Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). One of Woodson's
goals was to educate the people of America about the history of African
Americans. In 1925, he announced an event that would help realize this goal:
the Negro History Week. The very first celebration of the event happened
sometime in February 1926, on a week that had both Abraham Lincoln's and
Frederick Douglass' birthdays, which were on February 12 and February 14,
respectively. Both men were stalwarts against slavery. An interesting trivia to
mention is that since Douglass' actual date of birth was unknown to him; he
chose his own birthdate.
Woodson's
aim was to highlight not only the history and cultural background of African
Americans, but also their great achievements in different fields. It was
important for Woodson that African American history become part and parcel of
the whole history of America. John Hope Franklin, another historian, said that
Woodson's hope was for Negro History Week to eventually "outlive its
usefulness." He hoped that one day, the celebration could be eliminated because black
history would already be ensconced into American history.
The
initial response to Woodson's event was overwhelming. A number of black history
clubs were born; there was a clamor for teaching materials for use in
educational institutions; and, endorsements came from progressive whites and
not just from white philanthropists and scholars. Negro History Week continued
to establish itself as an important celebration even after the death of
Woodson. When the US celebrated its bicentennial in 1976, the celebration was
extended to a month. The 1st African American History Month was celebrated 50
years after the 1st celebration of Negro History Week.
Criticisms against Black
History Month
There
has been an ongoing debate over the observance of Black History Month. Some
feel that setting aside a whole month gives people an excuse not to think about
black history for the rest of the year. It also makes it seem that African
American history is separate from the whole history of the United States.
Others question the selection of the month of February for Black History Month
since it has the least number of days compared to other months.
There
are critics who even argue that Black History Month actually promotes racism.
In an interview with Mike Wallace for 60 Minutes back in 2005, legendary
multi-awarded African American actor Morgan Freeman questioned why his history
has been relegated to just a month. He finds the whole thing ridiculous
because, as he said, "Black history is American history." There are
other criticisms about the celebration. Yet, Black History Month continues to
be celebrated each year.
Writing, a means of
expression for the oppressed
Black History Month puts the spotlight on African American
achievers in various fields. Prominent black politicians, celebrities,
scientists, business leaders and journalists are hailed and honored together
with African American writers who have made writing their means of expressing
their culture, their thoughts, their feelings and their ideals. They use
written language in order to connect with their fellow African Americans and
with the world as a whole.
The
works of notable African American writers range from poems to essays to novels to
plays and other forms of literature. Black writers wrote about slavery, political
and social oppression, poverty, the civil rights movement, injustice and racism.
But these were not the only subjects of their works. African American writers
also wrote about their hopes and dreams, about love, of freedom, their beliefs
and values, and what was good in their lives.
The
language they used ranged from Standard English to a mixture of Standard
English and Ebonics (ebony/phonics). Ebonics, or African American Vernacular
English (AVVE) as it is sometimes referred to, is often described as a dialect
very similar to the Southern American English. Other African American writers
wrote in creole and other dialects.
Here are some
notable early African Americans writers:
·
Phillis
Wheatley. A
slave from Africa, Wheatley was bought by a Boston Merchant back in the late
1700s. She came to America not knowing how to speak English. Her owners took
time to teach Wheatley her new adopted language and by 1773, Wheatley published
"Poems on Various Subjects."
·
Frederick
Douglass. He wrote the "Narrative of Life of Frederick Douglass, An American
Slave," which came out in 1845. Ten years after, his next work, "My
Bondage and My Freedom," was published. His "Life and Times of
Frederick Douglass" was published in 1881. Douglass was not just a writer;
he was an abolitionist and fought for the rights of African American men and
women.
·
W.E.B. Du Bois. One of the founders of National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was the author of the
1903 collection of essays entitled "The Souls of Black Folk."
·
Booker T.
Washington.
An educator, he wrote the following works: his 1901 autobiography "Up From
Slavery," "The Future of the American Negro," and "My
Larger Education."
·
Jean Toomer,
Countee Cullen, Zora Neale Hurston and Dorothy West. They were well-known writers in the 20s
to the 30s.
·
Richard
Wright, Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin. They were well-known writers who published
works during the 40s, 50s and 60s.
·
Lorraine
Hansberry. A
playwright and author, she wrote the notable play, "A Raisin in the
Sun" for which she garnered a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award in
1959.
·
Alex Haley. He wrote the critically
acclaimed novel "Roots: The Saga of an American Family." This was
published in no less than 37 languages and became a much watched television
series. The book claimed for Haley a Special Award from the Pulitzer Board in
1977.
·
Maya Angelou. A writer, playwright,
director, producer, actress, dancer, professor, activist, public speaker and
more, she has won countless awards for her many works and received more than 30
honorary degrees from various institutions and organizations. The first of her
autobiographies, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" published in 1969,
was nominated for a National Book Award. While "Just Give Me a Cool Drink
of Water 'fore I Die" a collection of poetry, garnered a Pulitzer Prize
nomination in 1971.
·
Alice Walker. In 1983 she was awarded a
Pulitzer Prize as well as a National Book Award for her fictional work,
"The Color Purple." The novel
later on became a film directed by Steven Spielberg and then a musical produced
by no less than notable African Americans Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey (who
starred in the film version opposite Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover).
·
Toni Morrison.
She is
recognized for her works such as "The Bluest Eyes," "Sula,"
"Song of Solomon," and "Beloved." She started receiving
awards in the late 70s. In 1977, "Song of Solomon" gave her a
National Book Critics Circle Award. Today, she continues to reap awards for her
literary contributions not only in the U.S. but also in other parts of the
globe. In fact, in 2011 the University of Geneva bestowed on Morrison an
Honorary Doctorate of Letters.
Today,
up and coming African American writers are continuing the tradition set by
earlier generations of black Americans. These new crop of writers may not have
the same set of experiences or lived in the same conditions as their
predecessors but that does not mean they cannot achieve what the other African
Americans have achieved in the past. Through their imagination, passion and
expert use of language in writing a particular literary form, the new crop of African
American writers can continue the legacy handed down to them.
Different
public and private organizations continue to pay tribute to the different
generations of black Americans who, even amidst the adversities and challenges
in life achieved their own goals and are now viewed as positive role models for
the new generation and for the generations to come. Black history or African
American history is a big part of human history, not just the history of the
United States of America.
4 comments:
I would also include Langston Hughes' beautiful
poems, for example "I, Too", and the fact that Toni Morrison (an extraordinary writer) won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. From her marvelous Nobel Lecture: "We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives."
@Susana.
Thanks a lot for your input. Your comments are most welcome and we always love to learn about new people who have contributed to our society in such a positive manner.
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