麻豆影院

Audio Script

From a week to a month 鈥� Black History Month
Feb. 5, 2016听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Reiland Rabaka
90-years ago Carter G. Woodson - an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History 鈥� designated the second week in February 鈥淣egro History Week,鈥� considered a precursor to Black History Month.
He did this, says Reiland Rabaka, a professor of African, African-American and Caribbean Studies at CU-麻豆影院, to bring attention to the contributions African-Americans made to American history that Woodson believed were overlooked and ignored by writers of history textbooks and the teachers who used them.
CUT 1 鈥淐arter G. Woodson, the founder of what was then called 鈥楴egro History Week鈥� back in the 1920s, he said that this was a special time that we should amplify and intensify and heighten our appreciation of African-Americans. (:15) Most people actually don鈥檛 know what Dr. Woodson did. What he represented. The enormity of his position in African-American history and culture.鈥�(:24)
Why the month of February? Rabaka says Woodson did this to celebrate the February birthdays of abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln 鈥� two men Woodson wrote were fundamental to African-American history.
CUT 2 鈥淗e never said that it should just be during the month of February. He did it during the month of February because these are the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, first and foremost, and Abraham Lincoln - people that are fundamental to understanding African-American history and culture鈥澨� (:13)
In 1970 the week was expanded to a month and in 1976 the U.S. government officially recognized it. Rabaka says it鈥檚 no coincidence that Negro History Week was expanded to a month at that moment in history.
CUT 3 鈥淚 think that from 1926 when they started with Negro History Week and then 50 years later to expand it to Black History Month you can see that happens at the tail end of the black power movement. So it shows you the ground swell of activity during the black power movement.鈥� (:14)
Several years after the U.S. recognized Black History Month the United Kingdom in 1987 and Canada in 1995 began celebrating it as well.
-CU-