February is Black History Month
Background
Black History Month is an annual observance of the history and accomplishments of African Americans. The month designated for the observance is February, which was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14). Lincoln is significant for signing the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery in the United Stated, and Douglass for his prominence as an African American leader in the nineteenth century.
The concept for the observance originated with African American historian, Carter G. Woodson, who in 1926 called for the establishment of Negro History Week. Woodson observed that both the struggles and accomplishments of African Americans were not widely studied or recognized, and that this deficit of knowledge was unhealthy for American society in general and the African American community in particular. Woodson believed that studying and remembering the past was a prerequisite to living successfully in the present and being prepared for the future.
The observance has been sponsored by the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History (ASALH), an organization founded by Woodson in 1915. Each year ASALH has chosen a theme to focus the observance, which became known as Black History Week in the early 1970’s. In 1976 the observance was lengthened to a month.
Observance in the congregation
Although not a religious observance, Black History Month is appropriately marked and celebrated be congregations as a secondary focus during the seasons of Epiphany and Lent. Possibilities for observance include the following:
- Sponsor adult and youth forums on African American history. These forums may be sponsored jointly by several area congregations.
- Sponsor plays or dramas recalling important events or figures in African American history. Consider having parish youth write, organize, and act in the performances.
- Publish articles, poetry, and prose on African American history or by African American writers in the parish newsletter.
- Sponsor a congregational banquet and invite members to wear African American clothing. Consider including a special speaker and serving traditional foods.
- Hold soup suppers with storytelling times. Invite elders (older members) to share their recollections of African American history, drawing from the experiences of their own lives.
- Include teaching moments about African American history during worship times.
- Use various African and African American musical styles in worship. Decorate the worship spaces with African cloth that coordinates with the seasonal liturgical color.