Georgetown: The African Cultural & Development Association (ACDA) will be launching an African History Month Program at 10 am on Wednesday 5th February at Thomas Lands AKWAABA Center.
ACDA Plans to have a month long Exhibition (which will be revealed), a Youth Entrepreneurship Conference with 6 International and Local institutions, a Lecture Series and other events.
February is Black history month which got started by a Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, who also founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). In 1925 Woodson conceived and announced Negro History Week. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
Woodson and others like him believed that truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice. The goal of started Black history month was to help raise awareness of African American's contributions to civilization.
This paved the way opening the door to many events, clubs and teachers demanding materials to instruct their pupils as well as scholars and philanthropists stepping forward to endorse the effort.
Carter G. Woodson first coined Negro History week in 1925 and was introduced as a full month by President Gerald R. Ford in 1976 and upon Woodson's death in 1950, has continued to grow into a central part of African American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the celebration. At mid–century, mayors of cities nationwide issued proclamations noting Negro History Week. The Black Awakening of the 1960s dramatically expanded the consciousness of African Americans about the importance of black history, and the Civil Rights movement focused Americans of all color on the subject of the contributions of African Americans to our history and culture.
In Guyana, the observance is relatively new, but there has been tremendous interest in its observation, especially at the institutional level.
“Thus we encourage all to join ACDA, its members and the African Guyanese community in celebrating ‘African History Month,’ 2014,” ACDA noted.
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