A second goal in developing Negro History Week was to foster understanding between the races. Woodson believed that if whites learned of blacks' contributions to American history and humanity, this awareness would engender respect. Ramon Price of the DuSable Museum feels that the recent attention paid to the Amistad incident, during which a group of West Africans mutinied for freedom after being torn from their homeland and incarcerated on a slave ship bound for America, offers a perfect example of why African American History Month is necessary for all students. I can think of so many white youngsters who are looking at the fictionalized version of Amistad , and they're coming out of the movie theater so ecstatic because they're proud of the fact that there were abolitionists who stood up for what was right. Those missing pages are there, and it is so vital to restore them.
Racism is still alive and well.
We are a nation with an open sore. Joan Novelli is a free-lance education writer based in Burlington, Vermont. Celebrate Black History Month by planning a birthday party for other influential African Americans born in February. Hank Aaron are just a few of those you might honor. Involve students in planning the celebration.