We’ve all heard the phrase “you learn something new every day,” but do we all believe it? Sometimes, we “relearn” some things…meaning, there are facts that you pick up over time that get pushed to the back of your mind. Then, one day, you come across something and think, “Wow! I didn’t know that…or maybe I did…” That’s how I felt as I read an article about Black History Month.
While I know most of the origin of how the month came to be, I read something in the article that seemed new to me. It explained that Carter G. Woodson initiated Negro History and Literature Week with the hope that it would begin to dispel the belief that “negroes” were less than human – as American courts had once ruled.
Many people, even in 2011, question the need for Black History Month – you’ll even hear the occasional, “If we had a White History Month, people would say that was racist…” However, when you look at it in this context – that there was a time when people of African descent who lived in America were considered property and treated like animals (even worse, in most situations) – I don’t see a problem with highlighting the achievements of this people group to dispel the ridiculous belief that was adopted by a nation.
The other thing I learned was that Frederick Douglass was born on February 14th. This is one of those “I think I knew this” facts, but it’s a great one to relearn. So, have you learned anything new today?
Click here to read the original article I referenced.