Black History Month Black History month previously known as Negro History week has been recognized annually since 1926. The study of Black History is owed to Dr. Carter G. Woodson, born into a family of slaves, he worked in the coal mines during his childhood and enrolled in high school at the age of 20, he would later earn a PhD from Harvard. Dr. Woodson was disturbed to find that the history of African Americans was not documented in history books the only time they were reflected was in the inferior social position they were assigned at the time. Dr. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915 and in 1916 he founded the Journal of Negro History. In 1926, as an initiative to bring national attention to the contributions of black people throughout American history he launched Negro History Week. He chose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In part to the Civil Rights Movement late 1960’s and the growing of black identity awareness; Negro History Week had evolved into Black History Month in many colleges. Black History Month was officially recognized in 1976 by President …show more content…
For example, the Plessy v. Ferguson case, “equal but separate” brought up to the courts because of the railroad cars; they would still be separated by color but provided the same essential elements. People need to be aware of the educational rights so that they will not take them for granted to appreciate the struggles that came along with it. An example is the Little Rock Nine, integration was approved and nine black students were to attend an all-white school in Little Rock, Ark. they were blocked from entering the school by the Ark. Governor at the time; President Eisenhower sent National Guard troops to intervene the integration but a federal judge granted injunction against
The famous Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka can be used to illustrate when judicial review should be implemented to aid one or a faction in actions that are unconstitutional. In the town of Topeka, Kansas a black third-grader was forced to walk one mile through a switchyard in order to get to her black elementary school, although a white elementary school was only a few blocks away. Her parents attempted to enroll her into the white school but were repeatedly denied. The Brown v. Board of Education case was tried on behalf of the black minority that was the target of racial segregation in public schools.
He also established the Association For The Study of Negro Life. This association promotes black history.
Most public schools in the United States kept it simple and straight to the point. They taught, what we know as, “Black History” from the media’s standpoint. This concept neglects the true meaning of black history in the educational system, making it hard for African Americans to be prideful in who they are. Knowing history other than what the school systems tells us African Americans would not only give us more knowledge, but would allow us to stand up against others when try to put down our history. Media gives us mainly negative perspectives with very little positives of our
African or black history was not a study that was done by many until the last century. Studying African Americans accurately as part of American History was an even newer field of history. John Hope Franklin’s obituary calls him, “the scholar who helped create the field of African-American history and dominated it for nearly six decades.” He would call himself an historian of the American South.
Black History Month is an observance in the United States that is celebrated in the month of February to remember all of the important African Americans in history. This observance is still celebrated annually and brings forth a debatable question such as is there still a need to celebrate black history month? I strongly believe that Black History Month should still be celebrated for several reasons, one being that children need to know how African Americans contributed to society. Young African American children need to know their ethnic background. The legendary icons who fought for whom were considered “colored” people need to be acknowledged.
This is because the entire history of the black population is taught to the children in this month implying that all the achievements made by blacks are so little that they can be analyzed in a month. The other reason why the Black History Month shows racism is the idea that it was fixed in the shortest month of the year to further show how few the accomplishments made by blacks are. Since the accomplishments made by the blacks are only taught during this month, it shows that the teachers would not have to bother themselves with it any other time throughout the year making it significantly easy for the students to forget it as well as the accomplishments made by the black people. In addition, racism is also seen in this because there is no white history month. This can be used to show that the whites’ accomplishments are so many that they are celebrated all year round.
African Americans are still facing segregation today that was thought to have ended many years ago. Brown v. Board of Education declared the decision of having separate schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. As Brown v. Board of Education launches its case, we see how it sets the infrastructure to end racial segregation in all public spaces. Today, Brown v. Board of Education has made changes to our educational system and democracy, but hasn’t succeeded to end racial segregation due to the cases still being seen today. Brown v. Board of Education to this day remains one of the most important cases that African Americans have brought to the surface for the good of the United States. Brown v. Board of Education didn’t just focus on children and education, it also focused on how important equality is even when society claimed that African Americans were treated equal, when they weren’t. This was the case that opened the eyes of many American’s to notice that the separate but equal strategy was in fact unlawful.
Brown v. Board of the Education in 1954 was a landmark decision in the education arena. The decision maintained that schools that separated students by the color of their skin could no longer be maintained. The court saw this as necessary, since in their mind schools for black students would always be inferior. This inferiority would not be caused by lack of resources, although that usually was a contributing factor to the poor quality of the school, physically and performance-wise. As the Supreme Court saw it, s...
As a country it is important that we understand and value the importance of civil rights. The following cases demonstrate the importance of rights and liberties. In Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), the Supreme Court ruled on the inherent right to privacy. The Supreme Court ruled that the state could not ban the use of contraceptives. They determined that this was a violation of martial privacy. The state was attempting to fine and/or arrest people that were using any type of medicine or instrument to prevent pregnancy. This case was followed by Roe v. Wade (1973), where the Supreme Court not only gave women the right to privacy but also the right to have an abortion. In Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002), the Supreme Court gave parents in Ohio the right to use vouchers in order for their children to attend religious or private schools. While these cases protect liberties, the cases involving civil rights are far more reaching. In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court prohibited racial segregation of public schools. In Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson (1986), the Supreme Court ruled that a “hostile environment” related to sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. The impact of protecting our civil rights ensures a more inclusive American
“Separate is not equal.” In the case of Plessey vs. Ferguson in 1896 the U.S. Supreme Court said racial segregation didn’t violate the Constitution, so racial segregation became legal. In 1954 the case of Oliver Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka this case proved that separate is not equal. Oliver Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka was revolutionary to the education system, because colored people and Caucasians had segregated schools. The Caucasians received a better education and the colored people argued that they were separate but not equal. This would pave the way for integrated schools and change the education system as we knew it.
Smith spoke with WBEZ, "I chose the week because before there was Black History Month, way back in 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week, which was always the second week in February. So I said let me honor his initial vision to honor African-Americans who have played a part in our history. And let me do the restaurant
...ca in African American college students helped lead to the formation of Black History Month. The increase of younger activists allowed the ASALH to cultivate into a more modern association. Fifty years after the first celebration, the ASALH was able to develop the week long celebration of Negro Achievement Week into Black History Month. Every president since 1976 has made some sort of endorsement of Black History Month.
Black History Month began as Negro History Week in 1926. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a scholar known as the Father of Negro History, started the celebration of Black accomplishments and contributions. Negro History Week in the 1920’s was a victory for Black Americans, because we were still suffering from the infringements of slavery and trying to gain a sense of identity as human beings and as a group of people with a history and a culture. Similarly, Black History Month was sensible in the 1960’s, because Black Americans had a sense of nationalistic pride that influence ou...
Black Press Day, other wise none as Freedom’s Journal was the anniversary of the founding of the first black newspaper in the US and was established the same year that slavery was abolished in New York State. It changed African Americans forever or colored people.
In the 1954 court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation of schools was unconstitutional and violated the Fourteenth Amendment (Justia, n.d.). During the discussion, the separate but equal ruling in 1896 from Plessy v. Ferguson was found to cause black students to feel inferior because white schools were the superior of the two. Furthermore, the ruling states that black students missed out on opportunities that could be provided under a system of desegregation (Justia, n.d.). So the process of classification and how to balance schools according to race began to take place.