More than History

Many people let February roll by without recognizing the importance of it. For instance, what is African American History Month truly about and how did it come to be? Some remember the month as being all about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and the civil rights movement. There are those who look no further than King and Parks, and they fail to realize that African American History month is more than that. In the past, the African American race had gone through many hardships. Now, because of those adversities that they had overcome, all mankind is treated equally. African American History Month has a history of its own. It all started with an African American scholar who found in his studies that history books ignored the black population in America. When blacks were mentioned, it was in ways that reflected them as inferior to other Americans.

According to asalh.org, Carter Godwin Woodson believed that publishing history that involved African Americans would make their race more proud and encourage reason and truth over prejudice. In 1916, Woodson published the "Journal of Negro History" and also founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). He wanted African Americans to be acknowledged and to show the world who they really were. He believed that many African Americans deserved to be named in history. According Biogrophy.com, with the help of his fraternity brothers of Omega Psi Phi and the ASNLH, he conceived and announced "Negro History Week" in 1926 to show the American society that African Americans were also part of American history.

Woodson believed that February should be celebrated as African American History Month to honor the birth of two honorable men who changed history. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States who issued the Emancipation Proclamation, was born on February 12th. and Frederick Douglass, one of the nation's leading abolitionists was born on February 14th. Following the Black Awakening during the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement, the celebration grew in knowledge and popularity, and in 1976 President Gerald R. Ford officially declared February African American History Month.

To this day, African American History Month is recognized as well as the people that went down in history. Many African Americans celebrate this month by doing activities in schools, universities, and even work places. When some Kean students were asked what African American History Month meant to them, many of their faces lighted up in response. "Black History Month to me is a symbol of pride and it is a time to honor those African Americans that dedicated time and effort to make a difference," stated Kayla Belton, sophomore biology tech major. Because of African American History Month, American history has changed drastically, from the way they view African Americans to the way they view other races or heritages. "As a history major, I can certainly say that my past foretells my future, "says Bado Alverna senior history major. However, there were a few Kean students who had a different opinion on African American History Month. "A month is acceptable, but black history should be celebrated the whole year," stated Ngubo Masongo, freshman biology major. African American History Month brings people from the past, and keeps them alive through history. People around the country take time out of their days, weeks, and months to acknowledge their life stories and achievements throughout the years.