Portland observer., January 30, 2002, Page 3, Image 3

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January 30,2002
sp e c ia l
edition
Black History
2002
l.V A M E R I C A N S T O R Y
Page A3
PUBLICATION DATES: February 20 and February 27
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Celebrating February as
Black History Month
Historian Recorded Slavery
From the Slaves’ Perspective
H onoring black history in
February w as first established
by educator and historian. Dr.
C arter G. W oodson in 1926.
M any people ask why in Feb­
ru a ry ? W o o d so n c h o s e th e
m onth because even though the
13'*’ A m endm ent to the C onsti­
tution that abolished slavery
w as signed in January, slaves
did not start to hear o f the new s
until February.
Bom on Dec. 19,1875 in New
Canton, V a., W oodson w as an
A m erican historian w ho taught
black studies to scholars and
pop u larized the field in the
schools and colleges o f blacks.
A c c o rd in g to W o o d s o n ,
“T he accounts o f the success­
ful strivings o f N egroes for en­
lightenm ent under m ost adverse
circum stances reads like beau ­
tiful rom ances o f a people in an
heroic age.”
C arter G. W o o d so n fo u n d e d
B la c k H istory M o n th in 1 9 2 6 .
W oodson attem pted to under­
stand slavery from the slav es’
perspective, noting its different
form s in South A m erica, and ac­
know ledging the cultural in flu ­
ences brought from A frica.
He encouraged historians to
reinterpret standard Am erican his­
tory critically and to draw upon
the discoveries and revelations
o f archaeologists and anthro­
pologists. T hrough his studies,
he realized that prejudice was a
learned phenom enon, the result
o f uninform ed teaching and poor
research.
T o focus attention on black
contributions to civilizations,
W oodson founded N egro H is­
tory W eek in 1926. TTii s celebra­
tion and rem em brance would
later evolve into Black History
M onth.
Som e o f the w ritten w orks by
Dr. W oodson helped to reveal
long-hidden history and the his­
torical roles o f black people. He
p u b lish ed n u m ero u s co lleg e
texts. At the tim e o f his death,
W oodson was w orking on a pro­
jected six-volum e “E ncyclope­
dia A fricana.” W oodson died
on A pril 3,1950.
If a man hasn’t
discovered
something that
he will die for,
he isn’t fit to Live.
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Detroit, Michigan, June 1963
Moore Named to Housing Authority Board
j
Lee M oore has been appointed
to the H ousing A uthority o f P ort­
land board o f com m issioners.
The appointm ent brings a sp e­
cial closure to this long-tim e P ort­
land resident. M oore w as bom at
V anport, a housing authority de­
velopm ent that w as the largest
ever undertaken nationally. In the
1950s, his uncle w as the first A f­
rican Am erican to live at Colum bia
Villa, one o f the hou sing agency ’ s
earliest developm ents.
“T h is a p p o in tm e n t is very
m eaningful to m e on a personal
level," L ee said. “It brings m e full
circle and allow s m e to give back
to a com m unity that w as im por-
continued
L e e M oore,
oncea
public
h o u sin g
re sid en t,
n o w h e lp s
d i r e e t th e
agency.
A
On his day, N W Natural salutes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
A true American Hero.
NW N a tu ra l*
on page A6
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