Pierce College hosts events to celebrate blacks during February
Leah Veal
Issue date: 1/28/10 Section: Center fold
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In February 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson organized Negro History Week with the help of members of his Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, according the online edition of Encyclopedia Britannica.
The association chose February because it is close to the birthdays of two instrumental figures in black history, according to Encyclopedia Britannica: President Abraham Lincoln, who was responsible for the Emancipation Proclamation, and Frederick Douglass, an African American orator and abolitionist.
Throughout the next 50 years, American cities began initiating their own celebrations of black achievements, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Teachers began using class time to discuss notable black Americans' contributions to history. The civil rights movement also contributed to Negro History Week's increasing popularity.
An integral part in black Americans' struggle against discrimination, Dr. Terrence Roberts came to Pierce College on Jan. 20 to deliver a speech titled "Living the Dream," which reflected on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1957, a 15-year-old Roberts joined eight other black students attempting to integrate Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, according to Facinghistory.org. This action by the Little Rock Nine is considered to be one of the most important events in the civil rights movement.
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site was designated a unit of the National Park Service on Nov. 6, 1998.
In 1976, Negro History Week was expanded to become African American History Month. President Gerald Ford urged Americans to participate in its observance.
Last year's election of America's first black president, Barack Obama, was the culmination of the blood, sweat and tears that black forerunners shed to see the advancement of their own people.
Obama's position serves as a reminder that any advancement is possible with hard work and dedication. As a result, the world will be watching to see how he will ultimately make his mark on black history.
How the United States will benefit from a black president remains to be seen, but it is certain his forerunners have made their mark and will never be forgotten.
Pierce College will host more events to honor black history during the month of February.
Motivational speaker Dion Jordan, the author of "Maximum Performance: The Result Driven Habits of the World's Top Performers," will discuss diversity awareness and inclusion from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 9 in the cafeteria.
The Total Experience Gospel Choir will perform from noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 18 in the cafeteria.
For more information about the history and accomplishments of black people, visit http://www.history.com/content/blackhistory, http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html and http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/index.jsp.
A brief history of blacks in the United States
Information complied by Megan Lum
Early Days & Slavery (1400s-1865)
1619: A Dutch ship brings 20 African indentured servants to the English colony of Jamestown, Va.
1831-1861: Approximately 75,000 slaves escape to the North and freedom using the Underground Railroad, a system in which free "conductors," abolitionists and sympathizers guide, help and shelter the escapees.
1861: The Civil War begins when the Confederates attack Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C. The war, fought over the issue of slavery, will rage for another four years. The Union's victory will mean the end of slavery.
1863: President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation legally frees all slaves in the Confederacy.
1865: Congress passes the Thirteenth Amendment, outlawing slavery, and establishes the Freedmen's Bureau to assist former slaves. This is the beginning of the Reconstruction era.
Building Democracy (1866-1953)
1866: Congress passes the Civil Rights Act, which confers citizenship on blacks and grants them equal rights with whites.
1896: In Plessy v. Ferguson, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that segregated or "separate but equal" public facilities for whites and blacks are legal. The ruling stands until 1954.
1909: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is founded by a group of activists, including W. E. B. Du Bois.
1947: Baseball great Jackie Robinson becomes the first black man to break the color barrier and be allowed to play in the major leagues.
1948: President Harry Truman issues an executive order that desegregates the military.
Civil Rights Era (1954-1971)
1954: In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan., the Supreme Court rules unanimously against school segregation, overturning its 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.
1955: Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus to a white person, triggering a successful, year-long boycott of the bus system by blacks.
1962: Basketball great Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points in a single NBA game, setting a record that still stands.
1962: Black radical Malcolm X becomes national minister of the Nation of Islam. He rejects the nonviolent civil-rights movement and integration, and becomes a champion of black separatism and pride.
1963: More than 200,000 people march on Washington, D.C., in the largest civil rights demonstration ever. Martin Luther King Jr. gives his "I Have a Dream" speech.
1964: President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act, which gives the federal government far-reaching powers to prosecute discrimination in employment, voting and education.
1966: The holiday of Kwanzaa, based on African harvest festivals, is created in the United States by activist scholar Maulana Ron Karenga.
1968: Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent Civil Rights leader, was assassinated April 4 in Memphis, Tenn., at the age of 39.
Modern Times (1972-present)
1972: The Equal Employment Opportunity Act is passed, prohibiting job discrimination on the basis of, among other things, race and laying the groundwork for affirmative action.
1989: Oprah Winfrey, the first black woman to host a nationally syndicated and popular talk show, founds Harpo Productions to produce her own movies and TV shows. In 2000, Forbes magazine will estimate Winfrey's earnings at $150 million.
1990: The U.S. Census reveals an increase in the black population to 12 percent of the total U.S. population, with more than 50 percent of all blacks still residing in southern states.
1991: The Civil Rights Act of 1991 makes it easier for employees to sue their employers for job discrimination.
1991: Black Entertainment Television Holdings Inc., founded by Robert L. Johnson, becomes the first black company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
1997: Tiger Woods becomes the first black man to win the Masters tournament, as well as the youngest golfer ever to do so.
2001: General Colin L. Powell is appointed Secretary of State by President George W. Bush.
2009: Barack Obama becomes the first black president in America.
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