Founders of Black History Month
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| Six Ways to Celebrate the 2008 Black History Month Theme |
| The main effort of this year’s theme is to show that the multiculturalism of today had its origins in the struggles of African Americans to have their cultural contributions recognized by American society. In breaking through the monocultural vision of America, African Americans were at the foundation of multiculturalism in America. No one played a greater role in this effort than Carter G. Woodson. With the acceptance of black people and black culture, other cultures found a way of gaining acceptance. In celebration of Black History Month, and the 2008 Black History Month Theme, "Carter G. Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism," here are a few suggestions as to how you can celebrate Black History Month this year. |
| The 2008 Black History Theme Products are now available for purchase through the ASALH Store. |
1. Focus on how the Harlem Renaissance ended the view of an America that was
founded on Anglo-Saxon culture to the exclusion of other groups who had made
contributions to America.
2. In the area of music, black spirituals, the blues, gospel, jazz, and R&B (and most
recently Hip Hop/Rap) have each been gradually embraced by Americans as part of
the nation’s cultural heritage.
3. Focus on how black writers and poets such as Langston Hughes, Richard Wright,
Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker became embraced
as major American writers, not simply black writers.
4. Focus on how the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s ushered in an appreciation
of black theatre and thereby ended the notion that American theater was exclusively
Euro-American. Here we think of playwrights such as Charles Fuller (A Soldier’s
Story) and Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun) were received as major
playwrites.
5. How the United States military came to appreciate the contributions of African
Americans, then increasingly accepted the contributions of Hispanics, Asians, and
Native Americans. Here the emphasis should not simply be on the Tuskegee
Airman, Buffalo Soldiers and others, but on how the military came to accept their
contributions over the years.
6. Carter G. Woodson’s The Mis-Education of the Negro articulated a vision of
education in which various groups are taught an appreciation of their history.
Moreover, the work stressed how the educational system must take into
consideration the cultural background of the various groups who make up a society.
In keeping with the theme and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the book's
publication, black history celebrations might include appropriate readings from The
Mis-Education of the Negro.
founded on Anglo-Saxon culture to the exclusion of other groups who had made
contributions to America.
2. In the area of music, black spirituals, the blues, gospel, jazz, and R&B (and most
recently Hip Hop/Rap) have each been gradually embraced by Americans as part of
the nation’s cultural heritage.
3. Focus on how black writers and poets such as Langston Hughes, Richard Wright,
Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker became embraced
as major American writers, not simply black writers.
4. Focus on how the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s ushered in an appreciation
of black theatre and thereby ended the notion that American theater was exclusively
Euro-American. Here we think of playwrights such as Charles Fuller (A Soldier’s
Story) and Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun) were received as major
playwrites.
5. How the United States military came to appreciate the contributions of African
Americans, then increasingly accepted the contributions of Hispanics, Asians, and
Native Americans. Here the emphasis should not simply be on the Tuskegee
Airman, Buffalo Soldiers and others, but on how the military came to accept their
contributions over the years.
6. Carter G. Woodson’s The Mis-Education of the Negro articulated a vision of
education in which various groups are taught an appreciation of their history.
Moreover, the work stressed how the educational system must take into
consideration the cultural background of the various groups who make up a society.
In keeping with the theme and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the book's
publication, black history celebrations might include appropriate readings from The
Mis-Education of the Negro.
| The ASALH Website is a project of the ASALH Publication Committee, Daryl Michael Scott, Chair. Direct comments to phughes@asalh.net Page revised 02/26/2008 |