Author: Shanfeng
In the United States and Canada, every February is known as Black History Month to commemorate black people in North America who have survived the storms and broke free from the shackles of sweat and blood. Let us take a look at the origin of this special commemorative month.
As early as 400 years ago, black people were forced to come to North America against their will as slaves, living in white farmers' homes or estates. With the abolition of slavery after the American Civil War, black slaves were freed; but people of colour still don't get the respect they deserve in terms of work pay, status, etc.
When industrialization developed rapidly, new industrial cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Boston needed a lot of cheap labour. In search of a better chance of survival, from 1916 to 1970, 6 million African-Americans migrated from the rural southern United States to the Northeast, Midwest, and West of the United States, becoming the largest immigration in American history, which is called the Great Migration.
In September 1915, the black historian Carter G. Woodson launched the "American Society for the Study of Negro Life and History" with the aim of studying black history and protecting black culture. In the second week of February 1926, the Society organized Negro History Week to commemorate the birthday of President Lincoln and to celebrate the achievements of African Americans in the development of American society. The campaign has received widespread attention in schools and communities across the country, but their overall quality of life has not improved. By the late 1960s, with the rise of black affirmative action. History Week expanded into History Month in many schools. In 1976, President Gerald Ford, on behalf of the U.S. government, designated February as Black History Month, calling on the American people to honour the neglected contributions of African Americans.
Canada has played an active role in the liberation movement and has a long history of celebrating Black History and Culture Month. The Nova Scotia Festival is 300 years old and has been celebrated in western Alberta since the early 1900s. The secret passage on the U.S.-Canada border in Ontario, helped a large number of blacks flee the United States to start a new life in Canada, etc. In 1979, the City of Toronto received a petition asking to designate February as Black History and Culture Month and to host a travel campaign honouring Black history and culture. Since then, the commemorative activities around Black History Month have continued to increase and have gradually expanded to the entirety of Canada, allowing more people to understand the historical stories of black Canadians. In 1995, the Canadian government officially designated February as Black History Month.
Black people who have made important contributions to Canadian history include:
Mikay Jean, the first black Governor;
Donovan Bailey, the first 100-meter sprinter to win an Olympic gold medal;
Legendary jazz musician Oscar Peterson;
The first black Assemblyman Lincoln Alexander;
First appointed Senator Coons, who has worked to eliminate domestic violence, and established Canada's first women's shelter.
However, Ms. Viola Desmond was probably the most influential figure in Canadian history to protest against apartheid.
Viola Desmond
Desmond was a successful businesswoman in Halifax in the 1940s. One day in 1946, she had her car repaired when she was out driving. To pass the time, she walked into a movie theatre and sat on the first-floor seat to watch the movie. Because of the racial segregation policy at the time, the seats on the first floor of the theatre were reserved for whites only, and blacks could only sit upstairs. The theatre staff asked Desmond to leave the first-floor seating area, but Desmond refused. For violating the law, she was forcibly dragged out of the theatre by the police and locked up in the police station for one night. Wearing the white gloves that symbolized "elegance" at the time, Desmond sat upright in the detention center all night, protesting the brutality and discrimination of the authorities. To this end, the authorities charged her with fraud on the grounds that her seat on the first floor was a penny more expensive than on the second floor, and she was fined 20 dollars and sentenced to 30 days in prison. This matter has received extensive attention from society. With the support of public opinion and all walks of life, she finally won the appeal and became a brave representative of the protection of black rights and interests in Canadian history. In 1954, Nova Scotia was forced to desegregate its laws.
Black History Commemorative Coins Made by the Royal Canadian Mint
Today's Black History Month observances come in a variety of forms, including museums showing themed exhibitions on the survival and development of African Americans, theatre performances or showcasing works of African-American theatre and film and television, bookstores displaying masterpieces of black poets, writers, teachers presenting to students on African-American historical figures and contributions.
Canada issues stamps to honour the black community
To borrow the famous words of former South African President Mandela, "a man can be as insignificant as dust, but not as distorted as a maggot." Although there are still racial discrimination and even the innocent death of black people, the achievements of countless black people in society will never be erased.
Parts of the content and pictures of the article are taken from the internet
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