The Battalion • February 7, 2017 • https://thebatt.com/news/wbac-commences-black-history-month-celebration/
Provided
WABC is hosting several events to celebrate Black History Month.
By Shahd Elbushra@shahd10_21
One week into Black History Month, campus organizations have begun to remember and celebrate the impactful black leaders who’ve shaped black history across the globe.
The MSC Carter G. Woodson Black Awareness Committee, or WBAC, will host several events this month to educate A&M students about the rich history of impactful black leaders.
Jalyn Golden, wildlife sciences and entomology senior and former chair of MSC WBAC, said WBAC currently has two major programs planned for Black History Month. The first is a showing of the film “Chico and Rita,” a Spanish animated film, at 7 p.m. Saturday in Rudder Theatre. The showing is a collaboration between MSC WBAC, MSC CAMAC — a Latin programming committee — and MSC Aggie Cinema. After the showing, there will be a panel discussion on the Afro-Latino community culture and the film featuring four faculty members from the A&M Liberal Arts Department.
“Our committees hope to take the Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station area on a journey that educates on a part of the African diaspora that is often underrepresented during Black History Month,” Golden said. “In addition to creating a dialogue to merge the gap between the African and Latin culture that makes up the Afro-Latino community we hope to dispel some misconceptions of the Afro-Latino community and create fun, educational and welcoming experience for all to enjoy.”
The second event planned is the “African Kings and Queens Ballet” scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 13 in Rudder Auditorium, hosted by WBAC and the Department of Performance Studies.
“The ballet performance will be an original piece featuring the stories of Hannibal Barca, King Mansa Musa I, Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa and Queen Nzinga,” Golden said. “We hope to represent African civilizations, empires, and royalty through visual and performing arts. This ballet can help aid in diversity on campus through educational programming on the unique culture, history, and heritage of the African diaspora.”
Golden said the ballet also serves as a way to display activism through performing arts.
“The ballet will be performed by Urban Souls Dance Company (USDC) [whose] mission is to bridge the gap between life and art by promoting the importance of creativity,” Golden said. “The dancers of Urban Souls provide not just a dance performance, but also an experience that will inspire, teach and challenge audiences.”
Amy Diawara, public health junior, is the Black History Month director for WBAC this year. Diawara said, as director, she’s gotten to lead the preparations for the month’s events along with her co-workers.
“Along the way it’s just inclusion of the black culture and its various aspects being Muslim [and Black], being Afro-Latino,” Diawara said. “It’s not just one dimensional — that’s the biggest piece I have taken away.”
With the events WBAC will host, all campus organizations celebrating black rights and culture will come together Feb. 15 for the Umoja Festival, an annual African American culture and history festival.
“We are coming together because together we stand, divided we fall,” Diawara said. “We thought it would be really cool if we all came together for this festival.”
Lidell Perry, MSC WBAC adviser, said she just started working with WBAC last August and she feels this year it’s been very important to educate the campus community in what blackness means.
“Sometimes when we talk about Black History Month, we only focus about African American black history and the experience of black people in America since slavery,” Perry said. “And that’s something we want to address because black history starts way beyond slavery in America.”
Perry said the organization is aimed at highlighting where African roots come from and what that looks like across the diaspora.
“The African King and Queens Ballet on the [Feb.] 13 highlights some of the kings and queens that built these dynasties were a lot of African Americans, African Latinos, African Cubans find our roots in and some of our culture in,” Perry said. “Helping the community and the campus understand blackness isn’t just because you are from Africa, but because during the slave trade many persons taken from Africa weren’t just taken to America. They were taken to other parts of the world, so the African roots are there and the mixing and coming together of those people produced a different kind of black individual.”
FAQs
The first official observance came in February 1976, from President Gerald Ford whose words established Black History Month in eloquent homage to Woodson and ASALH.
Which US president recognized the celebration of Black History Month in 1976? ›
President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
When did Black Heritage month Black History Month first start out as a week long celebration called Negro History Week? ›
On Feb. 7, 1926, Carter G. Woodson, initiated the first celebration of Negro History Week which led to Black History Month, to extend and deepen the study and scholarship on African American history, all year long.
Which president formally recognized the celebration of Black History Month? ›
In 1976 President Gerald Ford became the first leader of the United States of America to officially recognize Black History Month. Since being recognized as an official heritage month, Black History Month has been assigned a theme for each year of its celebration.
Who is the founder of the celebration of Black History Month? ›
It was Carter G. Woodson, a founder of the Association for the Study of African American History, who first came up with the idea of the celebration that became Black History Month. Woodson, the son of recently freed Virginia slaves, who went on to earn a Ph.
What is the 2024 Black History Month theme? ›
Each year, Black History Month brings another opportunity to discover contributions that enrich our nation. The 2024 theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” explores the creativity, resilience and innovation from a culture that has uplifted spirits and soothed souls in countless ways across centuries.
What are the three colors of Black History Month? ›
The four colours that are used for Black History Month are black, red, yellow and green. Black represents resilience, red denotes blood, yellow is optimism and justice, and green symbolises rich greenery.
Who is the father of Black History Month? ›
Carter G. Woodson was a scholar whose dedication to celebrating the historic contributions of Black people led to the establishment of Black History Month, marked every February since 1976.
What president switched Black History Month from a week-long celebration into a month-long celebration? ›
In 1975, President Ford issued a Message on the Observance of Black History Week urging all Americans to "recognize the important contribution made to our nation's life and culture by black citizens." In 1976, ASALH expanded this commemoration of Black history in the United States from a week-long observance to Black ...
Who was the first US president to recognize Black History Month? ›
On February 10, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford issued a message recognizing Black History Month, becoming the first President to do so. The moment was decades in the making.
Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today.
Why was February picked as the Black History Month? ›
Why is Black History Month in February? February was chosen by Woodson for the week-long observance as it coincides with the birthdates of both former US President Abraham Lincoln and social reformer Frederick Douglass. Both men played a significant role in helping to end slavery.
What happened in 1976 for Black history? ›
President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
What happened on February 1st in Black history? ›
February 1, 1865 U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The Thirteenth Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States. February 1 is known as National Freedom Day in its honor. February 3, 1870 The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified.
Is Black History Month only in America? ›
No. Black History Month is an annual observance in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States. It's not a worldwide observance.
What happened on Feb 8 in Black history? ›
*BACK TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH HOMEPAGE > CLICK HERE
– In 1944 on this day, Harry S. McAlphin became the first black accredited to attend a White House press conference. – In 1968 on this day, actor Garey Coleman was born. – In 1978 on this day, Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title.
What happened on February 26th in Black history? ›
On this day in 1869, the Fifteenth Amendment was sent to the states for ratification. It was ratified on February 3rd, 1870. The Amendment prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”.
Why is October a Black History Month? ›
Firstly, October is when African chiefs and leaders gather to settle their differences so this month was chosen to reconnect with black peoples' roots on the continent. It was also first held in 1987, as it was the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation.
