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Theme:  African Americans and the Civil War

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Auditorium, U.S. Department of Commerce

The Federal Triangle Partnership, consisting of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Agency for International Development, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, announced its program commemorating the 2011 National African American History Month, which is celebrated annually during the month of February.  The 2011 theme was "African Americans and the Civil War."  This year's program was held on Wednesday, February 23, 2011, from 10:00 - 11:00 AM, in the auditorium of the U. S. Department of Commerce.


The keynote speaker was Roland Martin, an award-winning and multifaceted journalist.  Mr. Martin is a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate and author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith, and Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America.  He is also a commentator for TV One Cable Network, a CNN Analyst, appearing on shows such as The Situation Room and Anderson Cooper 360.  In August 2007, he joined Essence.com and in October 2008, he joined The Tom Joyner Morning Show as senior analyst.  His many awards include receiving the President’s Award by the National Association of Black Journalists for his work in multiple media platforms. 


The program also feature the Georgetown University Gospel Choir directed by Leviticus Thomas and Steppers from Hamilton Middle School, Washington, DC. 

This program was physically accessible to people with disabilities.  If you have any questions about this program, please contact Senora Coggs, OCR, at (202) 482-8190.  Visit the OCR webpage to learn about other African American History Month events at http://www.osec.doc.gov/ocr/ .html.


A century ago, an interracial group of Americans joined together and formed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).  Two generations after emancipation, a tide of racism had betrayed the promise of first-class citizenship.  In the South, whites had stripped blacks of the right to vote and constructed a society based on racial segregation.  In the North, African Americans confronted myriad forms of discrimination that thwarted their aspirations.  The Supreme Court turned a blind eye to the denigration of American citizenship taking place across the land and in the government itself.
 
The story of the NAACP is the story of struggle to create and maintain equal citizenship for all Americans.  Through exposing the horrors of lynching, keeping the issue of equality before the courts, and organizing branches throughout the country, the NAACP drew a national following and inspired others to form organizations for racial change.  The NAACP's work gave hope not only to blacks in the North, but to men and women in the South like Rosa Parks and Medgar Evers.
  
The centennial of the NAACP is an occasion to highlight the problem of race and citizenship in American history, from experiences of free blacks in a land of slavery to the political aspirations of African Americans today.  The centennial also provides an opportunity to explore the history of other nations in the Americas, where former slaves also sought the fruits of citizenship. Source:  http://www.asalh.org/2009NationalBlackHistoryTheme.html

More about National African American History Month

Each February is designated as African American History Month or Black History Month in the United States to commemorate the rich and varied contributions of African Americans to the culture and history of the United States and the world.

In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard Ph.D. who 11 years earlier had founded the Association for the Study of Afro- American Life and History, initiated Negro History Week. In those early days, the words Afro and Black were seldom used. It was Dr. Woodson's hope that through this special observance, all Americans would be reminded of their ethnic roots, and that togetherness in the United States' racial groups would develop out of a mutual respect. Dr. Woodson chose for Negro History Week the period of February which contains the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. From its initiation, observance of Afro-American History Month has involved many ethnic groups, not only Black Americans. This event evolved into the establishment in 1976 of February as "Black History Month." This commemoration is also referred to as "African American History Month."


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Page last updated: Tuesday, August 30, 2011