Well, here we are into February — the last month of “winter,” at least in my mind. It’s also a month of lots of “activities,” like Valentines Day, Chinese New Year, President’s Day, etc. But before we get started with all those, we shouldn’t forget that it’s also Black History Month.
When I was growing up in Oklahoma, I was not aware that there was any such thing as Black History Month. In fact, there wasn’t — Black History Month only came into being in 1976 when President Gerald Ford recognized the “celebration” and called on the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
The idea for a way to celebrate African American achievements was started in 1915 by prominent African American figures of the day, notably historian Carter G. Woodson. Woodson was a Harvard-trained historian and he and his group wanted a way to promote achievements of African Americans. (That group is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.) In 1926, the group chose the second week in February to celebrate what they called “Negro History Week.” The second week of February was symbolic in that it was the same week of the birthdays of former President Abraham Lincoln and the escaped slave and prominent abolitionist movement activist, Frederick Douglas. Due in part to the civil rights movement, the week evolved into an entire month in the late 1960s.
Every year, some interesting African American facts and stories surface during the month of February keeping the celebration fresh and interesting….
Even though Rosa Parks gets the credit as the first person to refuse to give up their seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, months before Rosa gained publicity, Claudette Colvin, a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl refused to move to the back of the bus. She was arrested and thrown in jail. She (along with four other women) later challenged the segregation law in court, and Browder vs. Gayle became the court case that successfully overturned bus segregation laws in both Montgomery and Alabama. Rosa Parks received the publicity because, apparently, the NAACP thought Rosa made a better icon for the movement than a teenager.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade business operated from about 1500-1866 and shipped more than 12 million African slaves across the world. Of the 12 million, only 10.7 million survived the trip. Over 400 years, the majority of slaves (4.9 million) were transported to Brazil where they suffered incredibly high mortality rates due to the working conditions. Brazil was also the last country to ban slavery — in 1888. By the time the United States became involved in the slave trade, it had been underway for two hundred years. The majority of the 388,000 slaves arrived in the U.S. between 1700 and 1866. The less than 400,000 number was much smaller than most Americans realize.
Some historians believe that the real “Lone Ranger” was inspired by an African American man named Bass Reeves. Reeves was born a slave but escaped and headed west during the Civil War and lived in what was then known as Indian Territory. He eventually became a Deputy U.S. Marshal, was a master of disguise, an expert marksman, had a Native American companion, and rode a silver horse. In the 19th century, many enslaved Blacks fled to the Wild West hoping for freedom and wages. African Americans made up at least a quarter of the legendary cowboys who lived dangerous lives facing rattlesnakes, weather and outlaws while they slept under the stars and drove cattle herds to market. There was little formal segregation in frontier towns, but Black cowboys were often expected to do more of the work and the roughest jobs compared to their white counterparts. It is thought that the term “cowboy” originated as a derogatory term used to describe Black “cowhands.”
The cartoon character Betty Boop was inspired by a Black jazz singer in Harlem. Created by cartoonist Max Fletcher in 1930, the caricature of the jazz age flapper is considered the first and most famous sex symbol in animation. Betty Boop was best known for her revealing dress, curvaceous figure, and signature vocals. While there has been controversy over the years, the inspiration has been traced back to Esther Jones who was known as “Baby Esther” and performed regularly in the Cotton Club during the 1920s.
During the coming month, I’m sure we’ll discover many more “neglected accomplishments.” Of course, Black history is more than a month and we can learn history anytime — some of those “lesser known” moments and facts are often the most interesting — and important.
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