Black History Month
During the month of February, students at Hemispheres Academy celebrated Black History Month.
The month of February includes the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederic Douglas. Lincoln’s birthday was on February 12th, but Douglas did not know his exact birthday since he was born a slave, but he celebrated his birthday during the month of February. Both men were instrumental to who were instrumental in shaping black history.
Black History Month began as Black History Week in the summer of 1915 in Chicago. Carter Woodson attended and began an organization to study and promote the scientific study of black life and history. The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) was formed. They hoped to popularize and share the finding and in 1926 Negro History Week was begun. It was celebrated in school and by the public. The expanding black middle class became consumers of black literature and culture.
In the 1940s there was a movement in the black community to expand the study of black history in schools and the public. Slowly the week grew into a month and since the mid-1970s every American president has issued proclamations endorsing the Association’s annual theme.
Want to learn more about some of the women who made a difference in Black history? This was the resource we used for Black Women’s History Month. Find out about Philis Wheatley, Mary Ellen Peasant, and Mary Church Terrell and many more!
Within Hemispheres: Our lessons focused on Scientists you should know. Students learned about; Mae Jamison, Katherine Johnson, George Washington Carver, Alexa Canady, Gladys West, Neil Degrassi Tyson and Lonnie Johnson. In addition to studying the poetry of Langdon Hughes. One of our favorite poems is titled Dreams, which we’d like to share with you here:
“Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.”
