January 11, 2017 The Skanner Page 9
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Black History Calendar Serves as Fundraising Vehicle
for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
By The Educational
Network
Y
ou’ll never know
where you’re go-
ing, unless you
first know where
you’ve been. So, make
2017 your year of self-
pride
and
timeless
knowledge with The
Educational Network’s
“Our History Today!
An
African-American
Journey” Black history
calendar and resource
guide. In addition to fea-
turing hundreds of key
facts highlighting the
contributions and ac-
complishments of nota-
ble history-makers, this
collector’s edition fea-
tures full-page profiles
of 13 prominent Afri-
can-American trailblaz-
ers in politics, education,
sports, business, media
and film/television; as
well as a farewell picto-
rial tribute to President
Barack Obama.
The calendar serves
as a national fundrais-
ing vehicle for Histori-
cally Black Colleges and
Universities
(HBCUs),
showcases 12 such insti-
tutions, and lists nearly
$1 million in available
scholarships. Since its
inception in 2006, the
calendar has raised more
than $400,000 for HB-
CUs.
“Across the nation,
there’s been a decline in
high school graduation
rates – especially, among
African-American males
– which may correlate to
the lack of positive, ac-
complished role models
and knowledge of black
history,” said Tracey
Alston, founder of The
Educational Network.
“Understanding that
our youth will never
know where they’re go-
ing until they first know
where they’ve been,
our 2017 black history
calendar celebrates the
amazing contributions
– past and present – that
our people have made
to numerous industries
beyond sports and mu-
sic, the nation and the
world.”
In conjunction with the
calendar, The Education-
al Network has also de-
veloped an online lesson
plan system for teaching
Black History and Mul-
ticultural Studies to stu-
dents, grades K-12. The
Common Core-aligned
program is currently be-
ing used by teachers in
several school districts
across the nation.
FREDDIE ALLEN/AMG/NNPA
Curator and Researcher
Mary Elliott Shares
Insight into New Black
History Museum
Mary Elliott, curator and museum specialist for the Smithsonian
National Museum of African-American History and Culture, pauses
next to a slave cabin exhibit during a recent media tour.
By Stacy M. Brown
(NNPA Newswire Contributor)
T
he new Smithsonian National Museum of Afri-
can-American History and Culture contains an
exhibit that features slave cabins, one that cura-
tor and museum specialist Mary Elliott called
powerful.
Almost as powerful, however, is Elliott’s recounting
of the vital input and assistance by one local citizen
who inspired many seniors and others to participate
in the new museum.
“To get all the stories together about the slave cab-
ins, we brought in the help of a genealogist and we
used our local research here and reached out to the
community,” Elliott said. “And, when we were dis-
mantling the cabin, the community came out and it
See MUSEUM on page 12
The “Our Histo-
ry,Today! An Afri-
can-American Jour-
ney”
calendar
is
available for purchase
at select Walgreens
stores nationwide and
www.BlackHistoryH-
BCU.com.
For more infor-
mation, please con-
tact The Educational
Network at (312) 470-
0270.
