Happy Black History Month! | February ‘24
For those who are unaware, the idea for Black History Month began with a man named Carter G. Woodson, who was an alumnus of the University of Chicago. In 1926 he created what he called Negro History Week. He had hopes that some day the history of Black people would be integrated into every community’s telling of history and did not intend for the week to turn into a month and to continue beyond his lifetime.
Woodson selected February for the date of the celebration, because two figures who were revered by the Black community in that time both celebrated birthdays in February - President Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. He figured extending the tradition of celebrating this icons to include the honoring of more influential Black figures would be an easier “sell” to community.
Starting in 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
Here are some recommendations for how to honor this month:
1. Take time to learn about influential Black figures in your community. Do your own research and share with others.
2. Make a commitment to patronize Black-owned businesses.
3. Read books by Black authors.
4. Follow Black contributors on social media and learn from their interests, experiences, and perspectives.
5. Invest in non-profits serving Black communities.
Here are some interesting Jones Family connections to Black history:
James Aldrich, my husband’s grandfather, was one of the first Black home-owners on the Hilltop in Tacoma, WA. He not only owned a home for their family. He had multiple rental properties.
Minnie Aldrich, my husband’s grandmother, was one of the founding members of the Colored Women’s Club, which was a social club to support Black women at a time when they were not welcome in other clubs. The club still exists in its original location on Yakima Avenue on the Hilltop of Tacoma, WA.
I was the first Block woman to make it to a General election for a statewide office (a race I lost by less than 1%).
Some of my heroes from history are:
Frederick Douglass
Jackie Robinson
Nelson Mandela
Angela Davis
Shirley Chisholm
Barbara Jordan
As a lover of literature, here are several authors who had significant impact on my reading writing journey:
“If one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one does not question the policemen, the lawyers, the judges, or the protected members of the middle class. One goes to the unprotected – those, precisely, who need the law’s protection most! – and listens to their testimony.”
– No Name on the Street
James Baldwin
Dream Deferred
By Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
And here is a link to a number of poems by the late, great Maya Angelou: https://mypoeticside.com/poets/maya-angelou-poems
Black history IS American history. This month is an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the contributions of figures we do not often see in history or literature text books or on movie screens. My hope, like that of Dr. Woodson, would be that some day we will not need a month set aside to honor these people. These stories and talents will be shared on pages alongside the likes of Emily Dickens and C.S. Lewis and President Lincoln and Albert Einstein.