February is Black History Month.
Black History Month honors the contributions of African Americans to U.S. history. It was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a scholar, publisher, educator and noted African American historian and minister Jesse E. Moorland. February was chosen Black History Month to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
Black History Month was made a national holiday in 1976 when President Gerald Ford recognized it as the month-long celebration that we recognize today.
Each year, a theme is chosen by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and the theme for 2020 is African Americans and the Vote. This year marks the 100-year-anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. It is also the 150-year-anniversary of the Fifteenth Amendment, which gave African Americans the right to vote.
Though the practice of celebrating Black History Month originated in the United States, other countries have since began celebrating it as well. In Canada, February is celebrated as Black History Month as well, while in countries like Ireland, the Netherlands, and United Kingdom, it is celebrated in October.
In honor of Black History Month, we’re sharing a few inspiring quotes from some African American icons who've have left a mark on our country.
"The time is always right to do what is right."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than the injured."
Coretta Scott King
"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost."
Arthur Ashe
"I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving up."
Rosa Parks
"Character is power."
Booker T. Washington
"Truth is powerful and it prevails."
Sojourner Truth
"I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."
Michael Jordan
"I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside of me, my desire to win is always stronger."
Serena Williams
"If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it."
Toni Morrison
Let us show honor and respect where it is due. After all, Black History is American History.
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