Sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs

1. Celebrates Black History Month 2018
Sponsored by:The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs
Wheelock College

2. History of the creation of Black
History Month
• 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

3. 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

4. President Barack Obama
Moved to Chicago in 1985 to work for
a church-based group seeking to
improve living conditions in poor
neighborhoods plagued with crime
and high unemployment.
In 1991, Obama graduated from
Harvard Law School where he was
the first African American president of
the Harvard Law Review.
In 2008, he was elected President of
the United States, becoming the first
African American commander-in-
chief. He served two terms as the
44th president of the United States.

5. Sojourner Truth
Black History Leaders
Truth left to make her way traveling
and preaching about abolition in 1843.
Sojourner spoke about abolition,
women's rights, prison reform, and
preached to the Michigan Legislature
against capital punishment.
In 1850, William Lloyd Garrison
privately published her book, The
Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A
Northern Slave. In May 1851 she
attended the Ohio Women's Rights
Convention in Akron, Ohio where she
delivered her famous speech: “Ain't I a
Woman.” In 1865, while working at the
Freedman's Hospital in
Washington,D.C., she rode in the
streetcars to help force desegregation.

6. Frederick Douglass
Black History Leader
A former slave, Douglass went on to be an
American abolitionist, editor, orator,
author, statesman and reformer.
Douglass is considered one of the most
prominent figures of African American
history during his time, and one of the
most influential lecturers and authors in
American history.
Firmly believed in equality for all people
regardless of race, sex, etc.
Participated in several projects and
movements in order to gain equality for all
human beings.
Published a series of newspapers called
The North Star, which had the motto:
"Right is of no sex—Truth is of no color—
God is the Father of us all, and we are all
Brethren."

7. Rosa Parks
Black History Leader
Dubbed by the U.S. Congress as the
"Mother of the Modern-Day Civil
Rights Movement,” Parks is famous
for her refusal on December 1, 1955
to obey bus driver James Blake's
demand that she relinquish her seat
to a white passenger.
After she was charged, this led to the
Montgomery Bus Boycott which lasted
for a little over a year.
Her role in American history earned
her an iconic status in American
culture, and her actions have left an
enduring legacy for civil rights
movements around the world.

8. Malcolm X
Malcolm X was a Black Muslim
Minister and National Spokesman for
the Nation of Islam.
Founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. and
the Organization of Afro-American
Unity.
Malcolm X became one of the most
prominent black nationalist leaders in
the United States and ultimately rose
to become a world-renowned African
American/Pan-Africanist and human
rights activist.
As a militant leader, he advocated
black pride, economic self-reliance,
and identity politics.
His legacy today is a symbol of
liberation across the world.

9. 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

10. Coretta Scott King & Dr.Martin
Luther King Jr.
Married on June 18, 1953, both
played a major role in paving the way
for the Civil Rights Movement.
Martin was a very strong public
speaker and would promote non-
violence and equal treatment for all.
Martin also led non-violent protests
against segregation in the South.
One of the most famous was the
Montgomery Bus Boycott.
The March on Washington was led by
Martin in an attempt to end racial
discrimination.
Coretta established the King Center
as a legacy to Martin Luther King Jr.
and to keeping his dream alive.

11. “I Have A Dream”
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Key Quotes from
"It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the
Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.
Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off
steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual."
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the
color of their skin but by the content of their character."
"Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from
every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when
all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be
able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God
Almighty, we are free at last!"
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold
these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'I have a dream that one day on the red hills
of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together
at a table of brotherhood."
"This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew
out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling
discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work
together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together,
knowing that we will be free one day."

12. 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

13. Maya AngelouA writer, best known for her first work, an
autobiography, called I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings, Angelou was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize,
Emmy and Tony Awards. She won a Grammy
Award for Best Spoken Word Album for On the
Pulse of Morning.
Angelou was the first African American woman
admitted to the Directors Guild of America.
Her autobiographies reflect on her own life
struggles and issues surrounding race.
In her book, The Heart of a Woman, Angelou
made a commitment to promote black civil rights
and examine the nature of racial oppression, racial
progress and racial integration.

14. 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

15. Garrett A. Morgan
Inventor of the many common-day
items such traffic lights, gas masks,
hair-straightening preparation, Morgan
opened his own sewing machine and
repair shop where he discovered a
liquid that gave sewing machine
needles a nice polish also could work
as a fabric and hair straightener.
Morgan’s gas-mask invention saved
the lives of 32 men in a tunnel
explosion. He was awarded many
medals for this invention.
The inspiration for the traffic light came
from witnessing a collision between an
automobile and horse-drawn carriage.

16. Daniel Hale Williams
Williams graduated from Northwestern
University in the school of medicine.
In 1893, Williams repaired the torn
pericardium of a man who had suffered
a knife wound to the heart.
Williams was only the second person
at this time to perform surgery around
the heart area.
It is thought by some that Williams was
the first man to perform open-heart
surgery. This is controversial since
some do not consider operations on the
pericardium “true open-heart surgery.”
Williams went on to be Surgeon-in-
Chief in Washington D.C. under
President Grover Cleveland. He also
established a training school for
African American nurses at this facility.

17. Walter T. Bailey
Bailey was the first African-American
to graduate from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (in
1904).
He received a Bachelor of Science in
Architectural Studies and an honorary
Master’s Degree in Architecture from
UIUC in 1910.
Sought work in his hometown,
Kewanee, IL. There, he assisted in
planning a public school.
Bailey went on to move south to build
churches, dormitories, and many other
kinds of buildings.
Returned to the south side of Chicago
in 1924 to plan two more projects: a
church and a temple.

18. Dr. Charles Drew
His research focused on the transfusion
of blood and improving ways to store
blood.
Drew is the inventor of the blood bank,
created in 1940.
Protested the practice of racial
segregation in blood donations. Dr.
Drew argued that there was no
scientific-foundation to believe that
blood of a white person was any
different than the blood of a black
person.
Drew became the first African American
surgeon to serve as an examiner on the
American Board of Surgery.
Drew was innovative in collecting,
testing and shipping blood from America
to England.

19. Mae Jemison
Jemison was the first African
American woman to travel into space.
She was a member of the Space
Shuttle Endeavor and spent seven
days in space.
Jemison graduated from Stanford
University on a National Achievement
Scholarship.
She spent time in the Peace Corps
teaching and doing medical research.
Jemison is currently working on
systems to improve health care in
West Africa.
She has established and founded
several groups dedicated to educating
others, improving the environment,
and developing space technology.

20. 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

21. 1966 Texas Western
(UTEP) Basketball
1966 was the first time an NCAA
Division I School had an all black
starting line-up.
Led by Don Haskins, this team went on
to win the NCAA Division I
Championship in Men’s Basketball.
They are thought by some to be the
team that changed American sports.
The impact that UTEP’s championship
had on the nation was huge. Many
other major state universities went on to
recruit black athletes.
The movie Glory Road is based on this
true story.

22. Sports Contributions
Venus Williams, born on June 17, 1980 in Lynwood, California,
she became the dominant female tennis player of 2000,
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

23. Muhammad Ali
Ali is a retired American boxer who was
named “Sportsman of the Century” by
Sports Illustrated. He is the winner of
the World Heavyweight Boxing
championship three times, North
American Boxing Federation
championship, and Olympic gold medal.
He is remembered by his masterful self-
promotions, psychological tactics
before, during, and after fights and his
supreme skill that enabled him to scale
the heights and sustain his position.
The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville,
Kentucky was built in honor of Ali’s
achievements and focuses on core
themes of peace, social responsibility,
respect, and personal growth.

24. 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 Day
Denzel Washington

25. Oprah Winfrey
Through 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 Pioneer
Magazine Founder &
Editorial Director
Producer/Actress
Philanthropist
Television Programming
Creator
Broadway Producer

26. Stevie Wonder
Wonder is a famous singer, song-
writer, record producer, musician and
social activist.
He has recorded over thirty top ten hits
and is the winner of twenty-two
Grammy Awards, which is a record for
a solo-artist.
Wonder also won an Oscar and has
been inducted in the Rock and Roll
and Songwriters Hall of Fames.
Has made a significant impact to R&B
and Pop music. Many present-day
artists refer to Stevie as their
influence/inspiration.
Wonder has been blind since
childbirth.

27. Underground Railroad
Terminology
The Underground Railroad System had
its own jargon. Here are some of the
terms that would be used:
“Station” = hiding place
“Stationmaster” = one who would hide
slaves in their home
“Passengers/Cargo” = escaped slaves
“A friend of a friend” = the secret password
for the Underground Railroad
“Freedom Train / Gospel Train” = code
name for the Underground Railroad
“Stockholder” = donor of money, food or
clothing to the Underground Railroad
“The wind blows from the South today” =
warning of slave bounty hunters nearby
“Agent” = coordinator
“Shepherds” = people escorting slaves
“Heaven / Promised Land” = Canada

28. Brown v. Board of
Education of Topeka
In 1954, the United States Supreme
Court ruled that it was unconstitutional
to segregate public schools based on
race.
There were thirteen plaintiffs speaking
on behalf of twenty children that were
affected in four schools.
Schools in Topeka, Kansas were
separated by race under a Kansas
law passed in 1879.
Monroe Elementary School (seen
here) was the one in which Linda
Brown, daughter of the plaintiff- Oliver
Brown, attended after the ruling.

29. “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
 This song is also known as “the National Black Anthem.”
 It is sung by African-Americans as a way to show patriotism and hope for the
future. It can also be seen as a way to speak out against racism and inequality.
 The first verse is most commonly heard:
“Lift ev'ry voice and sing,
'Til earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list'ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on 'til victory is won.”

30. Conclusion
“It doesn’t matter who you are,
or where you come from. The
ability to triumph begins with
you—always.”
Oprah Winfrey

31. References
http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/
http://www.colapublib.org/bhm/
Florida 4-H Celebrates Black History Month
Black history is a celebration of American history.
Wikipedia.org
Espn.com
http://www2.arch.uiuc.edu/africanamericanalumniresearch/Alum%20-%20Walter%20T%20Bailey%20-
%20Bio.htm
Celebrates Black History Month 2018
Sponsored by: The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs
Wheelock College