The History of Black History Month

Volume 5: March 2008 Comments (0)

by Cesia Parra

Americans have recognized Black History since 1926, first as “Negro History Week” and later as “Black History Month.” February was chosen as “Black History Month” because of the events that happened during that month such as Frederick Douglas’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays.

I remember that when I was in 5th grade, my teacher gave a mini lesson on Black history; she said that it was important to recognize the Civil Rights movements’ leaders.

The one I remember the most about is Martin Luther King Jr. He was born on January 15, 1929. He was a powerful speaker, and his speeches often motivated the people. The speech that I remember the most was the “I Have a Dream” speech, which was given at the steps of the Lincoln memorial. I personally like this speech the most because Martin Luther King expressed his dream. He had a dream that one day white and black people would be united as brothers and sisters. I think we should all have the same dream as he had and still has. Martin Luther King Jr. died on April 4, 1968.

Another great leader is Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman was born around 1820; around 1844, she married a free black man named John Tubman and took his last name. Her real name was Araminta Ross but she later changed it to Harriet, after her mother. She is perhaps the most wellknown of all the Underground Railroad
“conductors.” The Underground Railroad was a secret cooperative network that helped former slaves in reaching the free or Canada. During the ten years in which she was a conductor, she made 19 trips into the south and escorted over 300 slaves to freedom. During the Civil War Harriet Tubman worked for the Union as a cook, a nurse, and even a spy. She died in 1913.

Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King were a lot alike; they both helped colored people, in different times, to obtain freedom. Black History Month is usually celebrated by parades. We also celebrated it at school, by learning about it, we are celebrating it. Black History is very interesting, so why not learn about it? I mean it’s pretty interesting once you start learning about it.

During the last two months, we have been reading Martin Luther King’s speeches in Devin’s Academic Literacy class, and in Mr. G’s English 1 class. It has been interesting to know what Martin Luther King felt and how he expressed it with words that motivated the community to try and make a change.

Works Cited:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1535.html
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/
king-bio.html
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/
Underground%20Railroad
http://www.uawquad.org/images/heroes/Harriet_Tubman.jpg
http://www.aaronmartini.com

admin @ April 22, 2008