Black History Month
February is Black History Month. February celebrates the contributions that people of African Diaspora have made to history in their struggles for freedom and equality and deepens our understanding of our Nation's history.
In 1915, historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Through this organization Dr. Woodson established the first Negro History Week in February 1926, which included the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
In 1976 the week was expanded by ASALH to Black History Month, also known as African American History Month to recognize the extraordinary achievements of African Americans and their essential role in shaping the story of America. When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. More information and annual themes can be found at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
Black History Month has received official recognition in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, and the United Kingsom.
Martin Luther King Jr is one of the most notable and influential leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.
He dedicated his life as a minister and the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to improving the lives of not only African Americans but minorities and impoverished people as well. His efforts helped pass legislation that eliminated voting barriers such as literacy tests and poll taxes (Voting Rights Act 1965) as well as ending segregation in public places and job discrimination (Civil Rights Act of 1964). He faced many obstacles on the way to fulfill his dream, including but not limited to death threats, bombings, stabbing, arrests, and ultimately his life at the age of 39 in 1968.
Martin Luther King Jr Day
It took 15 years to establish a national holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr in 1983. Public Law 98-144 designated the third Monday in January as an annual federal holiday in King's honor, and the first official celebration took place on 20 January 1986. Although the Day was officially recognized in 1986, by the year 2000 all of the states recognized the day by name and celebrated it as a paid holiday.
During his lifetime he received many accolades, including a Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement. He sought greatness, but not for himself or in the form of awards or notoriety, but did so through service and love for others.
“If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain.”
Living History Project: Scholarship Opportunity
The Living History Project seeks to preserve and share memories from the era of the Civil Rights Movement, specifically the years from 1954-1974. People participating in this project should interview individuals that were alive and have memories to share from years 1954 – 1974. Ideally, these would be individuals that are at least 55 years old. You are welcomed and encouraged to interview family and/ or friends for this Living History Project.
Scholarships will be awarded to the top three posters from current NCTC students. NCTC staff and faculty are welcomed to submit posters to be featured online or in – person display. Posters will be selected to be featured in a display on NCTC campuses and online.
Slideshows & Discussion Panels
Notable African Americans & Their Family Influence
From Slavery to Freedom
The Black Family
Representation, Identity & Diversity
Watch as the discussion highlights diverse family dynamics but also touches base on similar experiences across Black families.
Panelists Include:
Aurelio & Cassey Wilson
Kyle Searcy
LaCreasha Hendricks-Stille
Sharina Hubbard
Moderated by: Dr. Wallace, NCTC Chancellor
Our Roots, Our Accomplishments
The 2019 Panelists featured:
Harry Eaddy
President of the Denton African American Scholarship Foundation & Director for the Denton Black Film Festival
DesMontes L. Stewart, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Gainesville ISD
Joy Kirven
CEO Zarcode, LLC in Denton
Melvin Harris, EIT
Aguirre & Fields, LP in Houston
Dr. Cherly Furdge
Chair, Public Administration and Management Division at NCTC
Minister Welton Stoker
Parkview Church of Christ Minister of Community Outreach and Prison Minister
Moderated by: Dr. Wallace, NCTC Chancellor
Other Black History Celebration Days
Juneteenth Explained by Members of NCTC's AAI
July 18 — Nelson Mandela Day
“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Nelson Mandela: July 18, 1918 - Dec 5, 2013
Born as Rolihlahala Mandela in Mvezo, South Africa to the royal Thembu family of the Xhosa people, Nelson Mandela would later be known as “Madiba” the “Father of the Nation”, as the first black person elected to the presidency in South Africa in 1994. Garnering over 250 honors, Mandela made it his life’s work to promote democracy and social justice throughout the world, especially in his beloved South Africa.
When his own country had instituted racism, based on the example set by the southern states of the US, he dedicated his entire life to tearing down institutional racism within the government and the society at large. After spending 27 years in prison, starting in 1964, for his involvement Umkhonto we Sizwe, translated as Spear of the Nation, a right winged arm of the African National Congress (the party promoting democracy for all citizens in South Africa), he would be released as a political prisoner, when South Africa was on the verge of civil war. Several years later, in 1994, Mandela would vote for the first time in history at the polls that would elect him president of South Africa.
For his work during that time, he would share the Nobel Peace Prize with, then white South African president, F.W. DeKlerk, along with many other accomplishments and awards for his service.
True to his promise to only serve one presidential term of office, Mandela set the stage for future South Africans to heal the wounds of their divided society. He often said that this was not a black South Africa, and this was not a white South Africa, but one South Africa. During his presidency, he set up a Commission called the “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” or TRC that allowed amnesty to government officials and police officers guilty of gross human rights violence against blacks in South Africa. In exchange for their testimony on the whereabouts of loved ones who disappeared at their hands, they could find amnesty. Not all were awarded amnesty, but it was a time for the nation to have a dialogue about the atrocities that happened under the system of apartheid (an institutional system of segregation based on race).
It was a time of healing for the nation. In November of 2009, The United Nations declared July 18th as Nelson Mandela Day in honor of him to promote the ideas of equality and democracy around the world.
“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.Let me tell you what I believe. I believe in Nelson Mandela’s vision. I believe in a vision shared by Gandhi and King and Abraham Lincoln. I believe in a vision of equality and justice and freedom and multiracial democracy, built on the premise that all people are created equal, and they are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. And I believe a world governed by such principles is possible and that it can achieve more peace and more cooperation in pursuit of a common good. That’s what I believe.
As a role model and human rights champion around the world, Mandela said many things during his 93 years of life, but the quote that we remember him most for is quite possibly this one…”
"We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference."
“Let us embrace this message. Tutor a child. Feed the hungry. Volunteer your time at a local hospital or community center. Make the world a better place.”
Learn more about Mandela
So on this July 18th, we recognize the amazing accomplishments of Nelson Mandela and his contributions to freedom and equality around the world.
For more information on his life, his work, his charity please visit: