MARADMIN 049/08
MSGID/GENADMIN/
R 162314Z JAN 08
CMC WASHINGTON DC/MP DIV//
SUBJ/AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
MONTH OBERSVANCE 2008//
POC/R. A. ALLEN/CAPT/UNIT:MPE/-/TEL:703-784-9371/TEL:DSN 278-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. FEBRUARY IS AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH; THEREFORE, IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT WE FOCUS ON AND CELEBRATE THE ROLE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN IN AMERICAN AND MARINE CORPS HISTORY. THE OFFICIAL THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE IS "CARTER G. WOODSON AND THE ORIGINS OF MULTICULTURALISM".
2. DR. CARTER G. WOODSON WAS BORN OF SLAVES IN NEW CANTON, VIRGINIA IN 1875. SELF-TAUGHT UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL, HE WENT ON TO OBTAIN A BACHELORS OF ARTS AND A MASTERS DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. HE SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME THE SECOND AFRICAN AMERICAN TO EARN A PH.D. IN HISTORY FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY. DURING THIS TIME, DR. WOODSON CAME TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN BOTH HUMAN RELATIONS WITHIN SOCIETY AND THE PERCEIVED APTITUDE WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL AFRICAN AMERICAN CITIZEN. HE ALSO NOTED, HOWEVER, THAT THE ROLE OF AFRICAN
AMERICANS IN AMERICAN HISTORY WAS ROUTINELY IGNORED OR MISINTERPRETED. TO THIS END, DR. WOODSON FOUNDED THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF NEGRO LIFE AND HISTORY TO CONDUCT AND PROMULGATE RESEARCH INTO THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. HE BELIEVED THAT SCIENTIFIC HISTORY SUPPORTING THE IMPORTANCE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION WOULD COUNTER RACIAL FALSEHOODS, AND EVENTUALLY AMERICAN SOCIETY WOULD ALTER ITS
NEGATIVE VIEW OF THE BLACK RACE. IN 1926, DR. WOODSON INAUGURATED NEGRO HISTORY WEEK, WHICH WAS CAREFULLY TIMED TO INCLUDE BOTH ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND FREDERICK DOUGLASS' BIRTHDAYS. DURING THE FOLLOWING DECADES, THE DEMAND FOR MORE TIME DEVOTED TO THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS INCREASED, AND THE WEEK WAS EVENTUALLY EXTENDED TO THE ENTIRE MONTH OF FEBRUARY IN 1976.
3. DR. WOODSON REALIZED THAT NEGRO HISTORY WEEK WOULD BE NO LONGER NECESSARY ONCE THIS SEGMENT OF WORLD HISTORY WAS INTEGRATED INTO MAINSTREAM CURRICULUM AND TAUGHT WITH APPROPRIATE DIGNITY AND RESPECT. HE ONCE SAID, "WE SHOULD EMPHASIZE NOT NEGRO HISTORY, BUT THE NEGRO IN HISTORY. WHAT WE NEED IS NOT A HISTORY OF SELECTED RACES OR NATIONS, BUT THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, VOID OF NATIONAL BIAS, RACE, HATE, AND RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE." AS MARINES WE ARE PROUD OF OUR RICH HERITAGE AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MARINES
OF ALL RACES AND ETHNICITIES. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE EMBRACE THE VISION OF DR. WOODSON AND DEVOTE THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY TO STUDYING AND CELEBRATING THE CRUCIAL ROLES AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE PLAYED IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION AND
OUR MARINE CORPS.
4. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH ON BASE AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
5. THIS MARADMIN WAS AUTHORIZED FOR RELEASE BY MR. M.F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//