{"id":5409,"date":"2024-02-01T22:08:52","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T22:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fellowshipfleet.com\/?p=5409"},"modified":"2024-02-02T22:47:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T22:47:52","slug":"lift-every-voice-black-history-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fellowshipfleet.com\/lift-every-voice-black-history-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Lift Every Voice – Black History Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

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February is Black History Month – a month dedicated to be intentional <\/em> about recognizing the achievements and contributions of Black people throughout history. It is a time to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of Black communities, to celebrate Black culture and heritage, and to recognize the very significant contributions that have been made throughout history in the United States.<\/p>\n

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How Black History Month Started\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Harvard historian, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Minister Jesse E. Moorland, also known for his work with the YMCA\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1915, Carter G. Woodson, the son of former slaves and the second African American to earn a doctorate degree from Harvard,\u00a0and Minister Jesse E. Moorland,\u00a0 founded what is today known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History\u00a0 in order to bring awareness to the African American people who had made contributions to society, but had been forgotten or left out of the narrative.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 1926, the men were looking for a way to make those previously unsung contributions of African Americans known to the public.\u00a0 Choosing the second week of February, to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, Negro History Week<\/em> was celebrated. ONE week. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs, and host performances and lectures.\u00a0 It wasn’t until the 1960s that colleges and universities began to expand the recognition of African American history to the full month of February.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u00a0President Abraham Lincoln and slavery abolitionist, Frederick C. Douglass<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month and made it nationally known, and it became the month-long celebration that we know today. He called upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Every year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History chooses a theme around which to center their Black History Month celebrations.\u00a0 The theme for 2024 is “African Americans and the Arts”, which acknowledges creatives, from Black poets and writers, to visual artists and dancers, for their fight against oppression through their craft.<\/p>\n

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Interesting Black History Facts – \"\"<\/p>\n