One month is dedicated to the progress, richness and diversity of African-American achievements. One month, to some, is not enough.
The month is February; the celebration is Black History Month.
The celebration dates back to the 1920s, when Carter G. Woodson, an alumnus of Harvard, created and promoted "Negro History Week."
Woodson devoted his life to the study of the African experience in America, Africa and throughout the world.
He selected this period in the month of February because it included the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, a prominent African-American slave who earned his freedom, and Abraham Lincoln, the 16th American president who freed the slaves during the Civil War.
The week was expanded to a month in 1976.
History department chairman Kenneth W. Goings said the celebration of African-American history and culture should be a continuing activity, rather than a concentrated series of events that take place during February.
"I think the learning and celebrating of African-American history should be an on-going process," Goings said. "I think it should be incorporated into American history as a whole. I have been teaching history for over 20 years, and the changes in how African-American history is taught are mind boggling."
Woodson also created the week of recognition to stop the ignorance and distortion of African-American history.
Minority affairs administrative assistant Tarsha Keskessa said she thinks African-American history should be celebrated as an element of everyday life.
"I think it is wonderful to celebrate African-American history," Keskessa said. "It should be on-going so no one will forget the heritage and culture of African-Americans."
Freshman dance major Crystal Hambrick said the African-American heritage should not be celebrated as a holiday, but as an element of life.
"I feel we need to celebrate the heritage always," Hambrick said. "It should not just be a holiday, but a fact of life."
Vanessa Gray, president of The U of M's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said African-American history needs to be celebrated in all areas of people's lives.
"African-Americans need to celebrate their history as individuals and as a group," Gray said. "We need to have more of an understanding of our history and reflect on it as an on-going festival instead of just focusing on it during one month."
