Black History Month
Black History is a yearly event celebrated every month of February and it is a great opportunity to celebrate African Americans’ many achievements throughout U.S. history and the history of the world at large.
Venue: School of Foreign Languages, Higher School of Economics, Staraya Basmannaya Street 21/4c1.
Date and Time: 22nd February 2023 at 17:30
More information about the event can be found at: https://vk.com/wall-217287336_25
Event Purpose
This event is being organized in order to commemorate the past of Black American heroes and their contributions to humanity.
The Higher School of Economics is an international university that teach students from different parts of the world and most especially Africans and Black Americans. The Multicultural club of SOFL is made up of a large number of Africans and Black Americans. So this event is in honor of these students and their history.
Facts to know
- Debut of the event
In 1915, Harvard-educated historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse Moorland founded what’s now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. That organization established Negro History Week in 1926, which strived to inspire schools and communities to organize local celebrations and host performances and lectures. According to historical sources, since 1976, this annual celebration has recognized the contributions of black Americans.
- An insight on Mr. Carter Woodson
Otherwise known as the Father of Black History, he was relentless in his lobbying to establish Negro History Week as a program to encourage the study of African-American history. Mr Carter Woodson dedicated his career to the subject and wrote many books on the topic. His most famous volume is The Mis-Education of the Negro, which has become required reading at numerous colleges and universities.
- Purpose of the celebration: Honoring African-American Men and Women
We don’t have to look far to notice the many impressive achievements of black men and women in the fields of science, politics, law, sports, entertainment, and many others. Here are some of the most notable names that might ring a bell when we're talking about Black History:
Harriet Tubman – Underground Railroad “Conductor” and Civil Rights Activist
Martin Luther King, Jr. – Baptist Minister and Social Activist
Rosa Parks – Civil Rights Activist
Maya Angelou – Civil Rights Activist, Author and poet
Barack Obama – U.S. President, U.S. Senator and Lawyer
- Why was the month of February chosen for this event?
It's no news that February indeed harbors lots of amazing events and holidays. Just like the Valentine's Day Celebration, the Negro History Week was the second week of February.
This was to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass who were important men in the history of the USA and Black Revolution. President Lincoln, was the 16th U.S. president and paved the way for the abolition of slavery with his Emancipation Proclamation. Douglass was an escaped slave turned activist and author, and also he was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement to end slavery.
Alexandra Tavrovskaya, President of the Multicultural Club
In our modern world, being open-minded and having enough knowledge in the domain of history is a core point for reaching great academic success, building up communication with representatives of different cultures. February is considered to be the Black History Month. In my opinion this day we should remember both: bright and dark historical moments. The dark ones, of course, are related to Black people slavery. It was a horrible tragedy which should be considered as a lesson for all mankind and should not repeat again. Fortunately, those times are in the past. On February 22, in the building of our university on Staraya Basmannaya Street, the Multicultural Club HSE will be focusing on more positive aspects: to recall once again the achievements that great African Americans have made. It is the first time that the Multicultural Club is organizing Black History Month celebration and we are waiting for guests from all the departments to expand our horizons together. In fact, the whole month is not enough to list all their merits, so let's always remember these wonderful people and their achievements!
Ajuzie Esther, Vice-President of the Club
As an African, I would say, I feel really honored and proud for a time like this. Black History Month is not just a celebration, it's a story, it's a moment of pain, fights, fear, victory and survival that will forever be engraved in the hearts of The Black Race. I hope this event will be one to remember.
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