History belongs to the victor. The lions will never write the same story that he hunters will tell.
Black History
Month is a time to
reflect on the many
accomplishments of
African Americans
in this country. It’s
an opportunity
for all Americans,
not just those of
African descent, to
learn more about
the contributions
we’ve made and pay
homage to those
that have come
before us.
NEW YORK GOVERNOR
DAVID A. PATERSON
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
founded Negro History
week in 1926 to commemorate and celebrate
African-American
contributions to the
American tapestry. Black
History Month remains
relevant 84 years after
Negro History Week’s
founding because the
truth of African-American
contributions remains,
too often, ignored,
unknown or
misinterpreted.
DR. JULIANNE
MALVEAUX,
President,
Bennett College
for Women
1863 Abraham Lincoln declares “all
persons held as slaves within any
State or designated part of a State, the
people whereof shall then be in rebellion
against the United States, shall be then,
thenceforward, and forever free”
1870 The 15th Amendment guarantees
the right to vote cannot be denied
because of race, color or previous
condition of servitude
1896 Plessy v. Ferguson: 14th Amendment’s
equal-protection clause is not violated as
long as reasonably equal conditions are
provided to Blacks and non-Blacks—the
“separate but equal” doctrine—and
will thereafter be used for assessing
constitutionality of racial-segregation laws
1909 NAACP is founded
1920s Harlem Renaissance: first time mainstream publishers/
critics recognize Black literature, music, art and politics
February 2010 41
