Black History Month was started in 1915, by Dr. Carter G. Woodson to help heighten awareness of the role of African Americans in shaping history. He chose February for this historical focus because both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born this month. Let’s take a brief look at the history of some of the achievements Dr. Woodson wanted us to remember always.
The civil rights movement gathered steam through the twentieth century, culminating in three watershed moments in the mid-1950’s: when the U.S. Supreme Court declared school segregation unconstitutional in the historic Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka decision; when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to move to the back of the bus; and when the battle raged about desegregation in the Little Rock High School.
In the 1960’s, African Americans began staging non-violent protests across the nation. From sit-in’s to Freedom Rides, to the electrifying leadership of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights movement attracted worldwide attention and gained momentum. The non-violence was repeatedly shattered during the same decade by church bombings, the assassination of Medgar Evers and Malcolm X, the disappearance and murder of civil rights workers in Mississippi, and riots across the nation.
In 1963, the iconic March on Washington occurred. Leaders from across the United States, including many from the NAACP, brought together hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life to fill the National Mall. It was there that Reverend King gave his historic “I Have A Dream” speech. Two years later, in 1965, civil rights activists peacefully began to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to call for voting rights. They were brutally attacked by state and local lawmen with billy clubs and tear gas on the day they set out, March 7, a day ever afterward known as Bloody Sunday. Two days later, Reverend King led the marchers again after he and other civil rights leaders asked for court protection. Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. ruled that the marchers had a right to protest and the march was completed by thousands of demonstrators. Later that same year, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
As people battled for their rights in the streets of America, African American political candidates were = fighting for recognition. A breakthrough happened in 1967, when Thurgood Marshall was named the first black judge to serve on the Supreme Court. That same year, Carl Strokes of Cleveland and Richard Hatcher were elected the first African American mayors of major U.S. cities.
Tragedy struck on April 4, 1968 when Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray was later convicted of killing King and sentenced to 99 years in prison. In 1983, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a federal holiday.
While much has been done to further the civil rights cause by past and current leaders, including Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton, much still needs to be done. In this last week of Black History Month, take time to reflect on the sacrifices of those who have come before us, but don’t stop there. Consider your role in extending civil rights to all Americans and take action. It’s not enough to remember past sacrifices; now is the time to stand up and fight for justice. The story is far from over—how will you contribute to it today?
The civil rights movement gathered steam through the twentieth century, culminating in three watershed moments in the mid-1950’s: when the U.S. Supreme Court declared school segregation unconstitutional in the historic Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka decision; when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to move to the back of the bus; and when the battle raged about desegregation in the Little Rock High School.
In the 1960’s, African Americans began staging non-violent protests across the nation. From sit-in’s to Freedom Rides, to the electrifying leadership of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights movement attracted worldwide attention and gained momentum. The non-violence was repeatedly shattered during the same decade by church bombings, the assassination of Medgar Evers and Malcolm X, the disappearance and murder of civil rights workers in Mississippi, and riots across the nation.
In 1963, the iconic March on Washington occurred. Leaders from across the United States, including many from the NAACP, brought together hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life to fill the National Mall. It was there that Reverend King gave his historic “I Have A Dream” speech. Two years later, in 1965, civil rights activists peacefully began to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to call for voting rights. They were brutally attacked by state and local lawmen with billy clubs and tear gas on the day they set out, March 7, a day ever afterward known as Bloody Sunday. Two days later, Reverend King led the marchers again after he and other civil rights leaders asked for court protection. Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. ruled that the marchers had a right to protest and the march was completed by thousands of demonstrators. Later that same year, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
As people battled for their rights in the streets of America, African American political candidates were = fighting for recognition. A breakthrough happened in 1967, when Thurgood Marshall was named the first black judge to serve on the Supreme Court. That same year, Carl Strokes of Cleveland and Richard Hatcher were elected the first African American mayors of major U.S. cities.
Tragedy struck on April 4, 1968 when Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on a hotel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray was later convicted of killing King and sentenced to 99 years in prison. In 1983, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a federal holiday.
While much has been done to further the civil rights cause by past and current leaders, including Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton, much still needs to be done. In this last week of Black History Month, take time to reflect on the sacrifices of those who have come before us, but don’t stop there. Consider your role in extending civil rights to all Americans and take action. It’s not enough to remember past sacrifices; now is the time to stand up and fight for justice. The story is far from over—how will you contribute to it today?
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