ory ▁Coast , ▁Gh ana , ▁T ogo , ▁Cam ero on , ▁Gab on , ▁Niger ia ▁and ▁Ang ola ), ▁but ▁the ▁" f ruits " ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁across ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁America . ▁Ok ra ▁came ▁from ▁Eth iop ia ▁and ▁E rit rea . ▁R ice ▁was ▁imported ▁from ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Mad agas car . ▁Soul ▁food ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁gy ps y ▁cook ing ▁in ▁Europe . ▁ ▁Hol id ays ▁and ▁observ ances ▁As ▁with ▁other ▁American ▁ra cial ▁and ▁eth nic ▁groups , ▁African ▁Americans ▁observe ▁eth nic ▁hol id ays ▁alongside ▁traditional ▁American ▁hol id ays . ▁Hol id ays ▁observed ▁in ▁African - American ▁culture ▁are ▁not ▁only ▁observed ▁by ▁African ▁Americans ▁but ▁are ▁widely ▁considered ▁American ▁hol id ays . ▁The ▁birth day ▁of ▁noted ▁American ▁civil ▁rights ▁leader ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King , ▁Jr ▁has ▁been ▁observed ▁nation ally ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁four ▁federal ▁hol id ays ▁named ▁for ▁an ▁individual . ▁ ▁Black ▁History ▁Month ▁is ▁another ▁example ▁of ▁another ▁African - American ▁observ ance ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁adopted ▁nation ally ▁and ▁its ▁teaching ▁is ▁even ▁required ▁by ▁law ▁in ▁some ▁states . ▁Black ▁History ▁Month ▁is ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁focus ▁attention ▁on ▁previously ▁neglect ed ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁history , ▁chief ly ▁the ▁lives ▁and ▁stories ▁of ▁African ▁Americans . ▁It ▁is ▁observed ▁during ▁the ▁month ▁of ▁February ▁to ▁co inci de ▁with ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁NA AC