Black History Month Begins

Celebrating the trials and triumphs

Feb 1, 2007

February has long been designated a time to celebrate African Americans. 2007 celebrates 107 years of honoring the struggles, the glories and hopes for the future.

Civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell honored the life and achievements of abolitionist Frederick Douglass on the date of his birth.

By 1926 Harvard educated Dr. Carter G. Woodson had begun what was then known as "Negro History Week". Dr. Woodson picked the month of February as both Douglass and Abraham Lincoln had been born in it. Among other important February events was the passage of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution which gave blacks the power to vote in 1870, and the 1920 founding of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

Through Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights movement the week of rememberance grew stronger until 1976 when the U.S. Congress granted the entire month of February be called "Black History Month".

No matter what your race, color or nationality events throughout the country will inspire and teach all of us how true were the immortal words of Frederick Douglass.

Here are just a few smaller events from a few of the southeastern states. Check places like Colonial Williamsburg and Monticello for larger events.

Arkansas

This exhibit features a portion of the museum’s extensive collection of quilts created by black Arkansans.

Georgia

Jack Hadley Black History Museum celebrates its first annual black history festival with a 3-day event featuring local and nationally-known scholars and artists in religion, music, visual arts, film, fashion, sports, food, and crafts!

North Carolina

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY DAY. Experience Bellamy Mansion with a focus on 19th Century African American history during a time when the Bellamy household included 11 Bellamy family members and 9 enslaved African Americans who lived on the site and worked throughout the house, and in an urban environment. This is a rare experience to learn about slaves in a non planation environment. Learn about their lives and the lives of free blacks and hired-out slave artisans who built the mansion, carriage house and slave quarters. Sarah, the Bellamy’s cook , is portrayed by Ms. Sulnora Spencer.

Tennessee

Cookeville Drama Cente rpresents the Historic Fisk Jubilee Singers, this musical extravaganza is a celebration of the accomplishments and achievements made by African-Americans

South Carolina

A showcase for the arts, crafts, foods and history of the Native Island Gullah people. Celebration events include a month long Art Exhibit, Gospel Celebrations I, II, Annual Business and Economic Summit, an Arts, Crafts and Food Expo, the National Freedom Day Celebration, an Ol' Fashioned Gullah Barbecue and De Gullah Playhouse One-Acts.

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