MSLC RECOGNIZES BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 1 – 28 Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event was the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. This year, MSLC highlights Rebecca Lee Crumpler, M.D., who was the first African American woman to earn an M.D. degree. Dr. Crumpler worked as a nurse from 1852 to 1860 and was then admitted to the New England Female Medical College. She graduated in 1864 with her M.D. degree. In her Book of Medical Discourses, published in 1883, she gives a brief summary of her career path and marked her achievements as a physician and medical writer in a time when very few African Americans were able to gain admittance to medical college, let alone publish. Her book is one of the very first medical publications by an African American.
THE ORIGIN OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent.
BLACK LIVES MATTER #BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, the Foundation is winning immediate improvements in the lives of Black communities.
DO YOU KNOW THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME OF 2022? This year’s theme is Black History for the Black Future. Black History is the summation of achievements of civil rights leaders, innovative trailblazers, and beautiful diverse cultural expressions. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BLACK HISTORY MONTH VISIT: • https://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/ • https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month • https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/ https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_73.html