Newsletter Vol 1. No 10

Black History Month is an annually observed commemorative month originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora, originally lasting a week before becoming a month-long observation since 1970. It is celebrated in February in the United States and Canada where it received recognition from both governments.

Negro History Week (1926)

The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historian, Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, (ASNLH) announced the second week of February to be “Negro History Week.” This week was chosen because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and that of Frederick Douglas on February 14, both of which Black communities had celebrated since the late 19^th century. Examples of this include when in January, 1897, school teacher, Mary Church Terrell, persuaded the Washington, D. C. school board to set aside the afternoon of Douglas’s birthday as Douglas Day to teach about his life and work in the city’s segregated public schools. The thought process behind the week was never recorded, but scholars acknowledge two reasons for its birth: recognition and importance. In 1915, Woodson has participated in the Lincoln Jubilee, a celebration of the 50 years since emancipation from slavery heled in Bronzeville, Chicago. The summer-long Jubilee, which drew thousands of attendees from across the county to see exhibitions of heritage and culture, impressed Woodson with the need to draw organized focus to the history of black people. He let the founding of the ASNLH in Chicago that fall. Toward the end of the Jubilee.

Early in the event’s history, African-American newspapers lent crucial support. From the event’s initial phase, primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of Black Americans in the nation’s public schools. The first Negro History Week was met with a lukewarm response, gaining the cooperation of the departments of education of the states of North Carolina, Delaware, and West Virginia,  as well as the city school administrations of Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D. C. Despite this limited observance, Woodson regarded the event as “one of the most fortunate steps ever taken by the Association,” and plans for an annual repeat of the event continued.

At the time of Negro History Week’s launch, Woodson contended that the teaching of Black History was essential to ensure the physical and intellectual survival of Blacks within broader society:

“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated. The American Indian left no continuous record. He did not appreciate the value of tradition; and where is he today? The Hebrew keenly appreciated the value of tradition, as is attested by the Bible itself. In spite of worldwide persecution, therefore, he is a great factor in our civilization.”

In 1929, The Journal of Negro History noted that, with only two exceptions, officials with the state departments of education of “every state with considerable Negro population” had made the event known to that state’s teachers and distributed official literature associated with the event. Churches also played a significant role in the distribution of literature in association with Negro History Week during this initial period, with the mainstream and Black press aiding in the publicity effort.

Throughout the 1930s, Negro History Week countered the growing myth of the South’s, ”lost cause,” which argued that enslaved people had been well-treated, that the Civil War was a war of “northern aggression,” and that Black people had been better off under slavery. Woodson wrote, “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions, you do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it.”

Negro History Week grew in popularity throughout the following decades, with mayors across the United States endorsing it as a holiday.

Black History Month (1970)

Black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University first proposed Black History Month in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State a year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970.

Six years later, Black History Month was being celebrated all across the country in educational institutions, centers of Black culture, and community centers, both great and small, when President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976, during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial. He urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

National Freedom Day

National Freedom Day is an observance in the United States honoring the signing by President Abrahma Lincoln of a joint House and Senate resolution that later was ratified as the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. President Lincoln signed the Amendment abolishing slavery on February 1, 1865, but it was not ratified by the states until later.

Try to attend one of the many alcohol-free celebrations sponsored by Alcoholics Anonymous or another organization near where you live. Consider helping others who are less fortunate by volunteering your time at an agency that offers services to people or animals. Call a friend or a family member, mend a broken relationship, donate to a charity that you feel does important work, and if the time is right for you, call to talk to one of our therapists at Inspire who will listen, understand and try to help you.

December is a time many people feel, “is the most wonderful time of the year,” and if that is true for you, then we urge you to celebrate safely with those you love with traditions, music, rituals, sending-out and receiving cards and gift-giving. Perhaps you will reconnect with your spiritual beliefs or deepen them. But, if it is not a happy time for you, then we ask you to seriously think about talking with someone at Inspire who can help.

This is a time of year when we celebrate light over darkness, which is true whether we are lighting a Menorah or decorating a Christmas tree and arranging a nativity scene; kissing under the Mistletoe or giving a gift from the heart. And, so it is with mental illness and substance use issues, if this is a really tough time for you, we hope you will reach out and let the light of mental health overtake the darkness of your struggles.

Many people acutely grieve lost loved ones at this time of year. The joy of the season can highlight the absence of those who have died and how much we love and miss them. Our grief can be overwhelming. These feelings are normal and predictable this time of year. Individual counseling and support groups can help enormously. If you are grieving, please call Inspire to make an appointment to talk with a psychotherapist. We can help you learn to grieve in healthy, effective ways as you learn to accommodate the loss of a loved one including a beloved pet. Please let us accompany you on your grief journey. 

November makes many of us think of Thanksgiving and of gathering with those we love to celebrate. Thanksgiving is one of the most cherished holidays in the United States, celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November. It dates back to 1621 when the Pilgrims, who had arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, shared a harvest feast with the Wampanoag Native Americans.

This event is considered one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in America, symbolizing cooperation and gratitude. Over time, Thanksgiving evolved into a national holiday focused on giving thanks for the year’s blessings. Families and friends gather to share a festive meal, typically with turkey as the centerpiece, along with traditional dishes like stuffing, cranberry sauce and a pumpkin pie. The day is often marked with parades such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and watching football games. Thanksgiving holds deep cultural significance as it highlights the themes of gratitude, community and reflection. It also marks the beginning of the holiday season leading into Christmas, Hanukah and New Year Celebrations. We at Inspire hope that however you mark this day, you will enjoy it. 

Many people remember their deceased loved ones in a special way during the month of November or on specific days in the month. If this is true for you and feelings of acute grief or chronic bereavement become overwhelming, especially at this time of year, please call Inspire to schedule an appointment with one of our grief counselors. We can help you learn to grieve in healthy, effective ways as you accommodate the loss of a loved one. Please let us accompany you on your grief journey.