Black History Month Celebration Snapshot

Florida 4-H Celebrates Black History Month

Introduction• Black History Month is an annual observance in

February, celebrating the past and present achievements of African Americans. In February 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, proposed the establishment of "Negro History Week" to honor the history and contributions of African Americans to American life.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson

Overview• Dr. Woodson, known as the "Father of

Black History", chose the second week of February because it commemorates the birthdays of two men who greatly affected the African American community: Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14). Negro History Week became Black History Week in the early 1970's. In 1976, the week-long observance was expanded to a month in honor of the nation's bicentennial.

Abraham LincolnFredrick Douglas

Interesting Facts• Elijah McCoy (1843-1929) invented an

automatic lubricator for oiling steam engines in 1872. The term “the real McCoy” is believed to be a reference about the reliability of Elijah McCoy’s invention

• Andrew Jackson Beard (1849-1921) invented the “Jenny Coupler” which allowed

train cars to hook themselves together when they bumped into one another. This device is still being used today

Elijah McCoy

The Jenny Coupler

Black History Leaders• In 1969, Shirley Chisholm became the first black

congresswoman and began the first of seven terms. She became one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969.

• Colin Luther Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years, rising to the rank of 4-star General before being appointed Head of the National Security Council by President Reagan in 1987. He was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and later

served as the 65th US Secretary of State .

Shirley Chisholm

Colin Powell

Arts and Literature• Poet, writer, play write.

Born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. Langston Hughes published his first poem, ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’ (1921), his first book, The Weary Blues (1926), launched his career as a writer

• Edward Bannister was a successful black artist, born in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada, in 1928

"Landscape,"Oil on canvas,1872

Langston Hughes

Sports Contributions• Jesse Owens track and field athlete, born

in Danville, Alabama. His 26 ft 8 in long jump was not broken until 1960. At the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, he disproved for the world Adolf Hitler's proclamation of ‘Aryan supremacy’ by achieving the finest one-day performance in track history with four gold medals (100 m, 200 m, 4 x 100 m, long jump), and Hitler left the stadium to avoid having to congratulate an African-American.

Jesse Owens

Sports Contributions• Venus Williams born on June 17, 1980 in Lynwood, California,

she became the dominant female tennis player of 2000, that year winning the Wimbledon singles title, the US Open, and Olympic gold in Sydney. She also won the Wimbledon doubles title, partnered by her younger sister, Serena Williams. She was the first African-American to reach the number 1 ranking in either the men's or women's game.

• Tiger Woods shot to fame after winning the U.S. Masters at Augusta in 1997 at the age of 21. Woods was the first African American to do so, as well as the youngest. He has won

  82 tournaments, 61 of those on the PGA TOUR. Tiger became the first ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time..

Venus Williams

Tiger Woods

Entertainment• Born Denzel Jermaine Washington, Jr. on

December 28, 1954, he has appeared in several notable films throughout the 1990s, including his first of four Spike Lee collaborations Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Malcolm X (1992) in another Oscar-nominated performance, Philadelphia (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), Courage Under Fire (1996) and The Hurricane (1999), for which he received a Golden Globe for Best Actor and another Oscar nomination. He won an

Oscar in 2002 for Training DayDenzel Washington

EntertainmentThrough the power of media, Oprah Winfrey has created an unparalleled connection with people around the world. As supervising producer and host of the top-rated, award-winning The Oprah Winfrey Show, she has entertained, enlightened and uplifted millions of viewers for the past two decades. Her accomplishments as a global media leader and philanthropist have established her as one of the most respected and admired public figures today.

According to Forbes.com, Oprah is currently worth 1.1 Billion Dollars

Oprah Winfrey

Television PioneerMagazine Founder & Editorial DirectorProducer/ActressPhilanthropistTelevision Programming CreatorBroadway Producer

Conclusion• “It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you

come from. The ability to triumph begins with you—always.”

Oprah Winfrey

• Black history is a celebration of American history.

• Resources• http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/• http://www.colapublib.org/bhm/