Black History Month Essay

There are many people in the world who do remarkable things. There is one month, February, that commemorates all of the phenomenal African American people and their achievements. Black History Month celebrates their notable impact on society and the contributions they made to the world to make a difference.

Americans have been celebrating Black History Month annually since 1926. It was first named "Negro History Week" and later it was changed to “Black History Month." It was started and created by Carter Godwin Woodson, the son of former slaves. The month of February was appealing to Woodson because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, two very vital leaders, were both born in that month (Black History Month). Black History Month is a time

She was a child of the slave quarters on the Broadas Plantation in Dorchester County, Maryland. She was born in approximately 1820 or 1821. Her nickname growing up was “Minty,” but as she grew older she took on her mother’s name, Harriet. Tubman was very fortunate because it was very rare for a slave child to live with both parents. Their cabin had packed dirt for floors, no draught proof windows, no plush furniture, and a door with holes that wind and bright sunlight would come through. At the age of six or seven, Tubman was taken from her mother and father to be hired out to other slave owners. She was hired out again and again which caused Tubman to endure several harsh treatments. One example occurred when another slave tried to run away. Tubman tried to help the runaway, and in outrage the overseer threw a two-pound lead weight at the runaway slave. The weight missed the runaway and hit Tubman on the forehead. No one thought she would survive, because Tubman did not move an inch for more than a week. The incident permanently scarred her both physically and mentally. She now bore evidence of the cruelty of slavery (Lutz 7-15). When she was twenty-four years of age, she was arranged to marry a free black man who went by the name of John Tubman. Although he was free, it did not change the fact Tubman was still in bondage. If she had children, they would not become free. They

Isabella’s exact date of birth is not known. It was an estimate since the owners of the slaves did not keep records. Her parents, James and Elizabeth Baumfree, called her Belle for short; eventually, Isabella changed her name to Sojourner Truth. Truth was one of twelve children. When she was only nine years old, she was auctioned off for one hundred dollars but that price included a flock of sheep. She was sold about three more times and was owned by five different families throughout her life. After being sold to John Dumont, Truth fell in love with a slave from an adjoining farm. His name was Robert. Truth and Robert produced a daughter and named her Diana. When their owners found out about the child they had conceived, they forbade the relationship between them. Robert and Truth never saw each other again after that. Dumont then arranged for Truth and a much older slave named Thomas to be married. They had one son named Peter, and two daughters named Elizabeth and Sophia (Painter 3-20). In 1817, the New York Legislature passed a law that slavery in New York would end on July 4, 1827, ten years later. After hearing the news, Dumont decided to work out a deal with Truth. He said he would release her one year early if she worked hard through 1826. Truth agreed to the deal, but at the end of the year, Dumont refused to release her. She was enraged at the