BOSTON - It's a question often asked this month with an answer, not always known. Why is Black History Month in February?
"That's a great question, and it's a beautiful story," says Bithiah Carter, President and CEO of New England Blacks in Philanthropy. "There's so much about our history that is untold."
The origins start with a man named Carter G. Woodson. The future historian was born in 1875 to enslaved parents. He graduated from Berea College before coming to Boston.
"He graduated from Harvard University, second [Black person to receive a doctorate from Harvard] after W.E.B. Du Bois. He realized that our history was not told," explains Carter. "He created Negro History Week, and during that week he definitely and intentionally put it in that space [in February] because it was between Abraham Lincoln's birthday and Frederick Douglass's birthday."
He wanted the week to not only be celebrated in academia, but across the nation.
"It was being observed in the newspapers but getting it into the schools meant our children could learn their history from us," said Carter.
She went on to say that the movement started in schools in the south, but in the 1970s Kent State made it a full month.
"Then in 1979 Gerald Ford decided, 'You know what? Now that this has caught fire in the U.S., we should acknowledge this as a federal holiday," said Carter.
"I think the misnomer, or false narrative out there, is that it was chosen because it was the shortest month of the year, and that it is the only time to talk about Black history," said Dr. Noelle Trent, President and CEO of the Museum of African American history.
The museum has a long list of programming scheduled for February including a film festival in partnership with Showcase Cinemas. The event will show films relating to Black history. The museum itself includes Beacon Hill's African Meeting House which was built in 1806.
"A number of famous abolitionists spoke here like Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. Garrison would later start his anti-slavery organization here in our basement," said Dr. Trent. "Every time a visitor comes, they are both occupying a place in the present, but also interacting with the past."
"There's a great quote by [Woodson] that says, 'If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile traditions, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and stands in danger of being exterminated," said Carter.
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"Boston: ""Ni swali linaloulizwa mara nyingi mwezi huu na jibu, si daima inajulikana.""" Kwa nini Mwezi wa Historia ya Weusi ni Februari? "Hiyo ni swali kubwa, na ni hadithi nzuri, ""anasema Bithiah Carter, Rais na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa New England Blacks in Philanthropy." "Kuna mambo mengi sana kuhusu historia yetu ambayo hayajaelezwa". Asili yake inaanzia na mtu aitwaye Carter G. Woodson. Mwanahistoria huyo alizaliwa mwaka 1875 katika familia ya watumwa. Alihitimu kutoka Chuo cha Berea kabla ya kuja Boston. "Alikomesha Chuo Kikuu cha Harvard, wa pili [mtu mweusi kupokea udaktari kutoka Harvard] baada ya W.E.B. Du Bois. Alitambua kwamba historia yetu haikuwa imeelezwa", aeleza Carter. "Alichagua ""Nguvu ya Historia ya Negro"" na kwa makusudi aliweka katika nafasi hiyo kwa sababu ilikuwa kati ya siku ya kuzaliwa ya Abraham Lincoln na siku ya kuzaliwa ya Frederick Douglass." Alitaka wiki hiyo isisherehekewe tu katika vyuo vikuu, bali katika taifa lote. "Ilikuwa ikionekana katika magazeti lakini kuipeleka shuleni ilimaanisha watoto wetu wangeweza kujifunza historia yao kutoka kwetu", alisema Carter. "Mwanamke huyo alisema: ""Mashindano hayo yalianza katika shule za kusini, lakini katika miaka ya 1970, Kent State ilifanya kuwa mwezi mzima." "Mwaka 1979 Gerald Ford aliandika kitabu ""Mimi ni mtu wa kwanza.""" """Sasa kwa kuwa hii imepiga moto nchini Marekani, tunapaswa kuitambua kama sikukuu ya shirikisho,"" alisema Carter." "Nadhani jina lisilofaa, au hadithi bandia huko nje, ni kwamba ilichaguliwa kwa sababu ilikuwa mwezi mfupi zaidi wa mwaka, na kwamba ni wakati pekee wa kuzungumza juu ya historia ya weusi, ""alisema Noelle Trent, Rais na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Jumba la Makumbusho la Historia ya Kiafrika ya Amerika." Makumbusho ina orodha ndefu ya programu iliyopangwa kwa Februari ikiwa ni pamoja na tamasha la filamu kwa ushirikiano na Showcase Cinemas. Tukio hilo litaonyesha filamu zinazohusiana na historia ya Weusi. Jumba la makumbusho la Beacon Hill lina makumbusho ya Afrika ya Afrika, ambayo ilijengwa mnamo 1806. "Wanafunzi kadhaa mashuhuri wa ukombozi wa utumwa walizungumza hapa kama vile Frederick Douglass na William Lloyd Garrison. Baadaye Garrison angeanzisha shirika lake la kupinga utumwa hapa katika chumba chetu cha chini ya ardhi", akasema Dakt. Trent. "Kila wakati mgeni anapokuja, wote wawili wanashikilia mahali katika wakati uliopo, lakini pia wanaingiliana na wakati uliopita". "Kuna nukuu kubwa ya Woodson ambayo inasema, ""Ikiwa jamii haina historia, haina mapokeo yenye thamani, inakuwa sababu isiyo na maana katika mawazo ya ulimwengu, na iko katika hatari ya kuangamizwa.""" Kama una swali ambalo ungependa tuangalie, tafadhali tumia barua pepe kwa email@example.com. kwa ajili ya vipengele zaidi.