Quote Originally Posted by 15degvee
I'm glad. I for one cannot stand BHM. It's American History, just like anything else in the textbook. These 'special achievements' should flow through the classrooms just like any other event. Why separate it and put it on a pedastool using the shortest month of the year?
Since the 1800s any achievement by a Negro we not recognized at all. In the early 1900's Carter Woodson began a movement to preserve black history, because our history was not documented, other that slave documents. He started several publications and associations to inform people of what blacks had done for America. He took the time to assemble historians, educate them, and help them continue the historical process. At the time, VERY few achievements were acknowledged by white americans/historians. The month of February was coined "Black History Month" to honor the birthdates of Frederick Douglas and Abe Lincoln; but also because several achievements of blacks occured in the month of February.

In short, white America never acknowledged the achievements of (then) Negroes/blacks/African-Americans at all. Still to this day, American History books do not have them included, nor are they discussed in detail. The use of the month reminds and enlightens those that do not know and hopefully sparks them to learn more about it. It was/is a way to highlight, to non-blacks, the immeasurable contributions that blacks have made to this country.

Once again, as with black colleges, organizations, and funds, we had to make our own because we were shut out of the mainstream.