The month of February is celebrated as the Black History Month as a tribute to the achievements and contributions of the African Americans to U.S. society.
(Color in Freedom by African-American artist Joseph Holston)
Historian Carter G. Woodson and the organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), which later became the Association for the Study of African American Life and History ASALH), conceived and announced Negro History Week in 1925. By the time of his death in 1950, Negro History Week had become an integral part of African American community. The Civil Rights movement in the 1960s focused on the subject of the contributions of African Americans to history and culture of the United States. In 1976, the nation’s bicentennial, the celebration was expanded to a month with President Gerald R. Ford urging Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every areaof endeavor throughout our history.”
The 2012 theme is Black Women in American Culture and History to commemorate the role of African American women in history of the United States of America. As activists, writers, artists, corporate executives and even as homemakers African American women have immensely contributed to the building of their nation. President Obama has remarked in his Presidential Proclamation : “As courageous visionaries who led the fight to end slavery and tenacious activists who fought to expand basic civil rights to all Americans, African American women have long served as champions of social and political change. And from the literary giants who gave voice to their communities to the artists whose harmonies and brush strokes captured hardships and aspirations, African American women have forever enriched our cultural heritage. Today, we stand on the shoulders of countless African American women who shattered glass ceilings and advanced our common goals. In recognition of their legacy, let us honor their heroic and historic acts for years to come.”
PHOTO GALLERY
The Smithsonian presents the image gallery Let Your Motto be Resistance as a homage to some influential African-American figures in U.S. history.
Visionaries:African Americans Tell Their Stories focuses on some of the extraordinary Black women who have shaped America’s culture and history.
A New Generation of Black Women Leaders features contemporary African-American women who excel in a variety of fields.
EJOURNAL
Making Their Mark: Black Women Leaders: This issue of eJournal USA profiles African-American women of the 20th and 21stcenturies who have made significant contributions to many spheres of American life. It also offers insights into how earlier generations of African-American women serve as touchstones for the present generation.
ARTICLE
Black Theater Today: Alive and Global talks of the new generation of black dramatists who are using historical insight to create a range of characters spanning the spectrum of social class and experience.
Source: IIP Digital
