February – African American History month

During this month we were reminded in many ways through media and social events about the significance and importance of recognizing the Black history today.

As I reflect on things I learned this month, I want to share a few facts:

February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass.  The first week long commemorative celebration was held in 1926, as a Negro History Week.  It was not until the civil rights movement in 1960s that it became the Black History Month, unofficially, until in 1976, President Gerald R. Ford made an official declaration.

In 1996, President Bill Clinton’s Proclamation 6863 renamed the effort as the "National African American History Month," and it is the proper official name today.

 Each year has a theme.  Last year, 2013 it was commemoration of 150^th anniversary of Emancipation Proclamation I n1863, and 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington.  This year, 2014, the theme continues: “Civil Rights in America.” 

Thecelebrations take place also in Canada. Two commemorative stamps were produced for circulation this year inCanada (purchase and order these as you do your mailing to build awarenessJ).  This year is also 100^th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War and the 75^th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War.  Black Canadians served in both these conflicts. During the First World War black Canadians were recruited for the N^o. 2 Construction Battalion. It was the first all-black regiment raised in Canada. Years later, despite many barriers to their participation, including restrictive recruitment policies that continued into the Second World War, thousands of black Canadians persevered and served both at home and overseas in a wider variety of roles than had previously been the case.

An interesting historical fact came to light recently.  A Canadian, Ontario born (1879) missionary, Arthur Asa Carscallen, was preaching the Gospel in 1906 in Kenya, Africa, after finishing Newbold College in England.  He had mastered the Luo language and written the first grammar book.  One of the first students/disciples was a 9-year old boy, who attended the boarding school on the shore of Lake Victoria, by the name Onyango Obama.  Much of his family followed the lead and became Seventh-day Adventists. He was the grandfather of the current, 44^th president of the USA.