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Origins of and resources for:
Black History Month
/// Martin Luther King Jr. Day /// Kwanzaa
/// Juneteenth /// ///
Black Nationalism (Marcus Garvey, Black Nationalist
Colors and Flag, Malcolm X, Black Power, Organization Us) /// NAACP /// National Urban League /// National Council of Negro Women
/// Rainbow/PUSH Coalition /// SCLC /// The Negro National Anthem: Lift Every Voice and Sing
The Origin of "Black History
Month"
Official Theme:
2008 Carter G.Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism
2009 The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas
2010 The History of Black Economic Empowerment
2011 African Americans and the Civil War
Carter G. Woodson, (1875-1950) noted Black scholar and historian
and son of former slaves, founded the Association for the Study of Negro
Life and History in 1915, which was later renamed the Association
for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).He initiated
Black History Week, February 12, 1926. For many years the 2nd week of February
(chosen so as to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and
Abraham Lincoln) was celebrated by Black people in the United States. In
1976, as part of the nation's Bicentennial, it was expanded and became
established as Black History Month, and is now celebrated all over North
America.
The ASALH has established the national
theme since 1926. The Association has historically worked to conserve,
preserve and perpetuate African American history and culture. At their
site, you can order their Black History Learning Resource Package and
other resources from the online store.
- Sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of
English with the endorsement of The International Reading Association.
It is hoped that more than a million readers will sign up to read literature
by Black authors on the first Sunday 4 P.M. EST (and Monday anytime) in
February! You can download a packet and recommended reading lists at the
NCTE.
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The Origin of Martin Luther King Day, January 15
(Federal Holiday: Third Monday in January)
The Official theme is the same each year:
"Remember! Celebrate! Act! Day On, Not A Day Off!!"
Martin Luther King Center
Website http://www.thekingcenter.org/
On April 8, 1968 - four days after Dr. King was assassinated - Congressman
John Conyers (D-Mich) introduced the first legistlation providing for a
federal holiday. But that dream wasn't realized until nearly 20 years later
All through the 1970's and 80's controversy surrounded the idea of a
Martin Luther King Day. Congresspersons and citizens had petitioned the
President to make January 15, Martin Luther King's birthday, a federal
legal holiday. Others wanted to make the holiday on the day he died...while
some people did not want to have a holiday at all.
January 15 had been observed as a legal holiday for many years in 27
states and Washington, D.C. Finally, in 1986, President Ronald Reagan declared
the third Monday in January a federal legal holiday commemorating Dr. Martin
Luther King's birthday. Yet not until 1999 was the holiday celebrated by
all 50 states. The holiday is celebrated in some form in 100 countries
around the world.
Biographical Outline
at the King Center
Chronology
at the King Center
MLK Posters, etc at AllPosters.com
A Knock at Midnight: Original Recordings of Reverend Martin Luther
King Jr. Audio Program Total running time: 8 hours.
Listen to two audiobooks for FREE at Audible.com (Just search this title when you arrive.)
This unique collection features a selection of Dr. King's best sermons
- some not heard since he first delivered them - recorded at Ebenezer Baptist
Church, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, and in other churches where he carried
his ministry. They include "Rediscovering Lost Values," "A
Knock at Midnight," "The American Dream," and "When
Jesus Called a Man a Fool." Each is introduced by a distinguished
member of today's spiritual community, including Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker,
Dr. Joan Campbell, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Winner of Publishers
Weekly Listen Up Award: Best Audio of 1998, Use of Archival Tape 
Martin
Luther King Papers Project http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his stirring "I
Have A Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington
DC. You'll find the text of that speech and others, along with audio clips,
information about internships and more. (Requires Internet Explorer or
Netscape 6 to view.)
Honor Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. in Your Classroom http://www.ncte.org/middle/teaching/123441.htm
Lesson plans and resources provided by the National Council of Teachers
of English.
Audible.com has hundreds
of related audiobooks of fiction and non-fiction, including The Souls
of Black Folk and Say It Plain: A Century of Great African-American
Speeches.
Learn
how you can get 2 audiobooks free right now! (Keywords
"African American" ) |
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The Origin of Kwanzaa - December 26 through January
1
KWANZAA is celebrated seven days; from December 26 through January 1,
a period which represents the end of an old year and the beginning of a
new one. It was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a scholar-activist
who is currently professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies
at California State University at Long Beach. It is an African American
holiday based on harvest festivals, and celebrates family, community and
culture.
The U.S. Post Office has a $.37 Kwanzaa commemorative stamp. If you
don't find it at your local post office, you can order it online.
The Official Kwanzaa
Website http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/
This is the website founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga, and provides detailed
information about the history, symbolism, greetings, gifts, colors and
decorations of Kwanzaa. It also provides a section of "Frequently
Asked Questions," an annual greeting from Dr. Karenga, and recommended
books, music and videos.
As the popularity of Kwanzaa grows, it has also become commercialized.
"Therefore, the central interest of this website is to provide information
which reveals and reaffirms the integrity, beauty and expansive meaning
of the holiday and thus aids in our approaching it with the depth of thought,
dignity, and sense of specialness it deserves."
The Kwanzaa Album. Women of the Calabash. Bermuda Reefs Records, 1998. Madeleine Yayodale Nelson, Marsha Perry Starkes, and Mayra Casales, all vocalists and percussionists. Order or listen at Amazon.com /// Download the entire album or individual songs FREE with a free trial from eMusic, Rhapsody or Napster
This album is the premier authentic collection of music inspired by
and based upon the ideals, stories and history of Kwanzaa. In addition
to a wide range of instrumental pieces, the album features eight specifically
chosen vocal performances, ranging from traditional African songs to contemporary
composed pieces. A standout for me is "Mya Si Grei", a traditional
song which originated in Guyana, sung by enslaved Africans and passed down
to their children. The lyrics roughly translate into "Even though
we are here in these terrible conditions, we are still the same proud,
noble people we always were." I also enjoyed Jody Gray's a capella
arrangement of "Lift Every Voice" performed with the Free Voices
of Praise Choir. This is a dynamic, beautiful CD, one I highly recommend
to celebrate Black History any time of year.
Kwanzaa : A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture. Maulana Karenga . University of Sankore Press, 1997. Available at Amazon.com
Everything you could ever want to know about Kwanzaa, written by the
founder. Beautifully illustrated, this book belongs in every school library.
How to Plan a Kwanzaa Celebration: Ideas For Family, Community and Public Events by Ida Gamble-Gumbs, Ida R. Gumbs, Bob Gumbs. Cultural Expressions, 1998. Available at Amazon.com
A guide to planning small and large Kwanzaa celebrations. Contains information
on: the origin of Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles), the
symbols of Kwanzaa, celebrating Kwanzaa, Planning a celebration, sample
Kwanzaa celebration program, Kwanzaa holiday recipes, and African Fashion
ideas. This is a great resource for under $10.
Preview
more Kwanzaa related books, music and videos at Amazon.com
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Juneteenth, June 19
In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared freedom for all slaves,
but the end of slavery was a slow and localized process because communications
weren't what they are today, and in many areas, there weren't enough Union
troops present to enforce it. Such was the case in Galveston, Texas. Not
until June 19, 1865, did Union soldiers land with news that the war had
ended and that all slaves were now free.
This news was met with both shock and jubilation, and June 19, or Juneteenth,
became the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery. The remembrance
of those festivities became particularly precious to former slaves and
their decendents, and has grown today to a worldwide celebration.
Learn more about it at the National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign
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The Black Nationalist Colors and
Flag
Commissioned by Marcus Garvey, the "black flag" was originally
the flag of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, a "back to
Africa" organization of the 1920s. The red, black and green African
Liberation or Black Nationalist flag is a symbol of universal black racial
solidarity. The flag has three bars from top to bottom. Red represents
the blood of all black people, black stands for the black race and green
symbolizes land and nationhood.
The UNIA still has about 2000 members worldwide. You can visit their website
Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind . 90 min. Produced for
The American Experience, 2001. Available at Amazon.com
Marcus Garvey was many things to many people. To the elite of the Harlem
Renaissance, he was a buffoon. To J. Edgar Hoover, he was a dangerous activitist...so
feared that the first black FBI agent was hired solely to infiltrate the
UNIA movement. But to hundreds of thousands - perhaps millions - of African
people around the world he brought a message of hope, pride and unity which
laid the foundation for the Black Power Movement. This video is rich in
music and imagery, and many points of view are expressed through interviews
with black historians, Garvey's contemporaries and two sons, and former
UNIA members.
Malcolm X: Make It Plain. Produced for The American Experience, 1995
Available at Amazon.com
Malcolm X is still a powerful presence, yet we know him mostly as an
icon. Using rare interviews, archival footage and photographs, this video
takes the viewer on an intellectual journey and chronicles the life and
evolution of Malcolm X. The man behind the myth is explored as people close
to him - including Maya Angelou, Ossie Davis, and Alex Haley - tell his
story.
Malcolm
X Posters and T-shirts at AllPosters.com
Audible.com has hundreds
of related audiobooks of fiction and non-fiction, including The Souls
of Black Folk and Say It Plain: A Century of Great African-American
Speeches.
Learn
how you can get 2 audiobooks free right now! (Keywords
"African American" ) |
Black
Power Movement http://www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/2010/power.htm
The Black Power movement encouraged black people to be self-determined,
self-reliant, and self-defining and discouraged all forms of dependency
on American society. This site provides annotated links to a wide variety
of related resources, and accompanies a course entitled The Civil Rights
Movement and the Rise of the Black Power Movement.
It's About
Time: Black Panther Party Legacy and Alumni http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/home/home.html
From the Statement of Purpose: "The It's About Time Committee is
committed to preserving and promoting the legacy of the Black Panther Party
(BPP) and its programs of community survival pending social change...We
have the responsibility to place our own experiences into historical context;
otherwise the legacy of the Black Panther Party will be ignored, dismissed
and distorted by today's commentators and tomorrow's historians. ..We will
maintain a network of Black Panther Party alumni and supporters for the
purpose of providing educational information to community groups or the
public at large regarding issues of social justice.
Malcolm X Research Site
http://www.brothermalcolm.net/
This extensive, comprehensive site includes a chronology, family biography,
photos, speeches and bibliography. It provides a study guide, links to
conferences, and discussion of Malcolm X's legacy and the radical black
tradition.
The Organization Us
http://www.us-organization.org/
The Organization Us was founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga and several advocates
on September 7,1965 following the Watts Revolt. "Out of the fires
and struggle of that period we projected a new vision of possibility thru
service, struggle and institution-building."
Founders of Kwanzaa.
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The NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded
in New York City by a group of black and white citizens committed to social
justice on February 12, 1909...the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.
The founders include Ida Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry Moscowitz,
Mary White Ovington, Oswald Garrison Villiard, and William English Walling.
The principal objective of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational,
social and economic equality of minority group citizens of the United States.
It is committed to non-violence.
You can learn more about both the NAACP's history and current activites
by visiting the NAACP website
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National Urban League
Founded in 1910, the Urban League is the nation's oldest and largest
community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter
the economic and social mainstream. The mission of the Urban League movement
is to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity
and power and civil rights.Headquartered in New York City, it is a nonprofit,
nonpartisan, community-based movement. The heart of the Urban League movement
is their professionally staffed Urban League affiliates in over 100 cities
in 34 states and the District of Columbia. National Urban League website
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National Council of Negro Women
Founded in 1935 by Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune with the goal of improving
the lives of black women and their families. Motto: Leave No One Behind.
NCNW Website.
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Rainbow/Push Coalition
"The National Rainbow/PUSH Coalition (RPC) is a multiracial, multi-issue,
international membership organization founded by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson,
Sr." It's mission is "uniting people of diverse ethnic, religious,
economic and political backgrounds to make America's promise of 'liberty
and justice for all' a reality." "RPC is the merger of Operation
PUSH (founded in 1971) and the National Rainbow Coalition (founded in 1985)
" Rainbow/Push Coalition Website
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
http://sclcnational.org/
The beginnings of the SCLC can be traced back to the Montgomery Bus
Boycott of 1955-56, and founders include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Dr.
Ralph David Abernathy, Rev. C. K. Steele, Rev. T. J. Jemison and Attorney
I. M. Augustine. This movement is grounded in the philosophy of nonviolent
resistance based on the lives and teachings of leaders such as Jesus Christ
and Mohandas Gandhi. Current programs include direct action and voter registration.
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