Video: Black History Month Continues

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — February is Black History Month, it began as Negro History Week with Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Since then questions and debates center around the role and significant relevance of the month long celebration highlighting Accomplishments of African Americans.

East Side Elementary School Principal Jacqueline Gray is busy with Black History Month presentations and an upcoming Friday Program. Gray is allowed by her school district to display and highlight famous African Americans. That’s after there is for instance, the R. E. Hunt Museum And Cultural Center, African American police chiefs in West Point, Columbus, now Starkville, and a Black president.

“The teachers have incorporated into their daily lessons and plans just to do any activity. Read a book to them concerning Black History. Focus on a famous African American, to talk about what that person have done in life.” Freedom quilts are a part of their history lesson,” said Jacqueline Gray, East Side Elementary School, Principal.

“Two classes did a quilt per class which is 6 quilts. And to talk about what that meant to give them a, just a sense of what Black History is,” said Gray.

“You know part of it is collecting genealogies on African Americans. Photographs, letters,” said Mona Vance-Ali, Library Archivist.

Those photographs were taken randomly by members of The Shackelford Family of Fayette Alabama. Oral histories and vertical files with documents of clubs, businesses, and family life are preserved. Also preserved are copies of The Columbus Sun Newspaper, highlighting community life.

“And we actually were able to get over 80 newspapers from our efforts. They are mainly from the 1980’s and 1990’s,” said Vance-Ali.

And so for right now African American History Month continues, and one thing we all can agree on, Black History is American History. Even though it is not mandatory for school curriculum.

“To make sure we follow the Mississippi curriculum, West Point curriculum. And then add anything we think would support our children. And this supports education. It doesn’t take away, it actually adds to it,” said Gray.

A series of four films highlighting the accomplishments of African American are being shown on Thursdays at the Columbus/Lowndes Public Library. For more information you may call 662-329-5304.