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Director's Message
The founding fathers of Black History week were the inimitable Carter G. Woodson, an historian and only the second African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University (the first was W.E.B. Du Bois), and minister Jesse Moorland, who together founded what is now known as the “Association for the Study of African American Life and History.” Dr. Woodson was relentless and with his tireless lobbying, Negro History Week was established in 1926 as the second week of February, the month that both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born. The initiative inspired communities and schools to host performances and lectures and celebrations. Decades later, when the Civil Rights Movement ushered in a heightened sense of Black civic pride, President Gerald R. Ford took it a step further and made it official, proclaiming February “Black History Month” across the country and urging all Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Today, Black History Month is celebrated in many countries at various times of the year. Most began by focusing on African Americans from the United States, but they evolved over time to shine a light on the broader African diaspora. Canada and Germany celebrate Black History Month in February, like the U.S. Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom host their own Black History Month celebrations in October. Brazil celebrates Black Consciousness Day on November 20. I would argue that every month is Black History Month, but in this specially designated second month of the year let’s all of us in the UCS family engage with our colleagues and friends in thoughtful dialogue. If you accept my challenge to listen and learn from those of diverse backgrounds and cultures and experiences, you will, at times, be alarmed and frustrated by what you hear and see. But you will also be enlightened and educated, and I am certain that open, respectful, professional discourse will benefit each and every one of us and help us grow together as the multicultural and diverse family that we are.
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February — Black History Month — is an opportune occasion for the entire UCS family to acknowledge, recognize and appreciate the contributions of African Americans throughout U.S. history. Black History Month dates to 1976, the year of our national bicentennial celebration. The “history” of Black History Month is itself fascinating.
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