African American History Month

Dear Colleagues,

February is African American?History Month - To honor African American heroes I wanted to share these little known facts about our heroes and their achievements. For even more information, see the link below each item.?

5 Things You May Not Know About…

1.????A teacher’s mispronunciation led to Jesse Owens name change.?Born James Cleveland Owens, the track star was called “J.C.” by his family. On his first day at Bolton Elementary School after moving to Cleveland, Ohio at age 9, the teacher misheard his Alabama drawl and thought he said his name was “Jesse” instead of “J.C.” Owens was too shy to correct his new teacher in front of his new classmates, and he was called “Jesse” for the rest of his life.?https://www.jesseowens.com/about/

2.?????Brown v. Board of Education was a unanimous decision.?Following oral argument, Chief Justice Earl Warren told his fellow justices that the “separate but equal” doctrine should be overturned. He then went about wooing those still on the fence, telling one that a dissent would encourage resistance in the South. In the end, all nine members of the court joined an opinion that Warren described as short, readable by the lay public, non-rhetorical, unemotional and non-accusatory. Education is the “the very foundation of good citizenship,” the ruling stated. “To separate [black children] from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone.”?https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka

3.????Rosa Parks was not sitting in a whites-only section.?Parks was sitting in the front row of a middle section of the bus open to African Americans if seats were vacant. After the “whites-only” section filled on subsequent stops and a white man was left standing, the driver demanded that Parks and three others in the row leave their seats. While the other three eventually moved, Parks did not.?https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/rosa-parks

4.?????Civil rights activist Medgar Evers was a World War II veteran who participated in the Normandy invasion.?Evers left high school at the age of 17 to enlist in the still-segregated U.S. Army, eventually rising to the rank of sergeant. In June 1944, Evers’ unit was part of the massive, post D-Day invasion of Europe, and he served in both France and Germany until his honorable discharge in 1946. Due to his wartime service, Evers was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors following his death in 1963.?https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/medgar-evers

5.?????Martin Luther King Jr. entered college at the age of 15.?King was such a gifted student that he skipped grades nine and 12 before enrolling in 1944 at Morehouse College, the alma mater of his father and maternal grandfather. Although he was the son, grandson and great-grandson of Baptist ministers, King did not intend to follow the family vocation until Morehouse president Benjamin E. Mays, a noted theologian, convinced him otherwise. King was ordained before graduating college with a degree in sociology.?https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr

Thank you all so much for reading, I challenge each of you to engage in National African American History Month activities, a great opportunity to learn, grow, and appreciate.?What began as the grassroots effort of African-American historian Carter G. Woodson has grown into a national time to honor the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout history. Below is just one example of many events during the month of February.?

The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Black History Events 1400 Constitution Ave., NW

Throughout February, the?National Museum of African American History and Culture?offers in-person events, online events, and chef’s table events at the?Sweet Home Cafe.?Explore the calendar of events and programs?here.