Black History Month By: Cindy M. Cassady

Learning Center for Talent Pool Introduction Introduction TaskThe Process Credits and References Standards Black History Month By: Cindy M. Cassady Evaluation Resource page

Why do we celebrate Black History Month? Clicktofindanswer Home

The roots of Black History month can be traced to the early part of the 20th century. In 1925, Carter G. Woodson, an educator and historian began campaigning among schools, journals and black newspapers calling for a “Black History Week” to be celebrated. This would honor the importance of black achievement and contribution in the United States. He was able to institute this “black History Week” in 1926 during the second week of February. This time chosen because Abraham Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’ birthdays occurred then. Woodson was awarded the Springarn Medal from the NAACP for his accomplishment. In 1976, Black History Week turned into Black History Month which we celebrate today. Next back

Process You will select 1 of the photos on the next slide. You will then read a biography about this individual then select the test at the end of the biography. Print this test and X off of the word document. You may read the biography while taking the test. Complete 2 biographies. Print biography summary from the resource page. Use the websites listed on resource page to complete the blank summary sheet that you printed. Begin Home ResourceResources page

home Select a photo to read biography

Sojourner Truth Isabella Baumfree was born a slave in New York, just before the end of the 18th century. She belonged to a variety of masters: some were reasonable, but others beat her horribly. When she was in her twenties, she took her youngest child and ran away. She became a religious woman, and took the name “Sojourner Truth” Sojourner means traveler, and was a good name choice for a traveling preacher. In the 1840s, she joined a group of abolitionists, people who wanted to end slavery. She was a very popular speaker for the movement. In the 1850s, she also became interested in equal rights for women. She was thus a spokesperson for two of the oppressed groups of that century: blacks and women. Sojourner Truth’s most famous speech is “Ain’t I a Woman?” In the speech she spoke bravely and persuasively for the rights of women. The speech says that as a woman, she has proven herself over and over to be as strong as a man, and that women in general are as strong—or stronger—than men. “ I have plowed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me: And ain’t I a woman?” Next

Rosa Parks Rosa Parks was born February 4, 1913. She was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. She worked as a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks is called the “mother of the civil rights movement”. In the 1950s, the bus system was segregated in many American cities. Blacks and whites could not sit together. Blacks had to sit in the back of the bus. They sometimes had to give their seats to white passengers. In December of 1955, Rosa Parks was tired. A white passenger wanted her seat. She said no. She was arrested. There was a boycott of the bus system. A clergyman helped work for the boycott. His name was Martin Luther King, Jr. The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation on city buses. Because of Rosa Parks, the bus system was integrated. Rosa Parks helped teach people about the history of the civil rights struggle. She earned many honors and medals. She is an example of courage and determination. Rosa Parks died in 2005 at the age of 92. Test Back

Sojourner Truth(continued) The famous phrase of the speech may never have actually been spoken by Sojourner Truth. She was unable to read, and did not write down her speeches. She was a popular speaker well before recordings of speeches such as hers and so it’s not possible to know exactly what she said. However, the emotion of the phrase certainly rings true for many women like Sojourner Truth. Her strengths –as a speaker, as a fighter against slavery, as a campaigner for equal rights – are all certain. The fact that she did all these things as a woman who never learned to read is even more remarkable. Sojourner Truth died in 1883. Back Test

Frederick Douglas Frederick Douglass was born as Frederick Baily in 1818 in Maryland. He was born a slave. His mother worked long hours and he rarely saw her. She died shortly after he turned seven years old. One of his owners read aloud to him. Although he was a slave, he learned that reading and writing were a way for him to be free. He taught himself to read and write. Young Frederick grew up with many masters, some kind and some cruel. He dreamed constantly of freedom. In his early twenties, he ran away from Maryland to New York, where he finally lived as a free man. Because he was afraid of being caught and sent back to Maryland, He changed his name to Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass became an abolitionist, a person who fights against slavery. He was an inspirational public speaker-funny and dramatic. He traveled around the United States and even to England, telling stories of his own experience as a slave and the goals of the abolitionists. Thousands of people came to hear him when he spoke. Back Next

Frederick Douglas (continued) As he traveled, Douglass became interested in other cases as well, especially women’s rights, prison reform, and temperance (not drinking alcohol). Some of his interests were controversial, but his passion and skill as a speaker and writer persuaded many people. He once wrote, “I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” Douglass was thrilled to see the Thirteenth Amendment, which ended slavery, pass into law in 1865. Unfortunately, the end of slavery did not mean the end of the battle for equal rights for blacks. Douglass continued to write. He wrote three autobiographies and countless articles. He also continued to travel and lecture about the need for equal treatment for black people. When he died at the age of 77, Frederick Douglass had lived a lifetime of tireless fighting. The legacy of his battle for fairness for all people lives on in his words and his memory. Test Back

Harriet Beecher Stowe When Harriet Beecher Stowe met President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, he is reported to have said, “So this is the little lady who made this big war.” He was speaking about the Civil War and the part Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, played in fueling the flames of battle between the North and South. Harriet Beecher was born in Litchfield, Connecticut on June 14, 1811, the seventh of nine children. Her father was Lyman Beecher, a minister, often described as demanding. Harriet’s mother, Harriet Porter, died early in Harriet’s childhood. A shy, quiet child, young girl, she moved to Connecticut to attend Hartford Female Seminary. It was there that she first began to love writing. By the time she was sixteen, Harriet was teaching school. Slavery first entered Harriet’s world when her family moved to Ohio. Although Ohio was a free state, right across the Ohio River lay Kentucky, which was a slave state. One summer day in 1833, Harriet saw slaves being mistreated. It was a sight she would never forget. It furthered her desire to abolish slavery. Test Back

Harriet Beecher Stowe(continued) On January 6, 1836, Harriet Beecher married Calvin Stowe. During the years of their marriage, she continued to write. She wrote for many newspapers and magazines. In 1843, her first book was published. Less than ten years later, in 1852, her world was changed with the amazingly successful publication of Uncle Ton’s Cabin. The book was an international bestseller, due both to its timeliness and its stirring story. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is the story of two slaves. One escapes to the North and freedom. The other, a slave named Tom, is moved from a kind owner to an evil master, Simon Legree. The book was a clear statement about the great harm caused by slavery. Some people challenged the book’s accuracy, and Harriet Beecher Stowe responded by publishing A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, in which she provided the factual data on which she had based her book. These two books made it impossible for people to avoid the truth: slavery was wrong. Many consider Uncle Tom’s Cabin a significant factor in the start of the Civil War. Test Back

Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice was the Secretary of State under President George W.Bush, from 2005 to 2009. She was the 66th Secretary of State. She was the first African-American woman ( the second African-American and the second woman) to hold the post. Before serving as Secretary of State, Rice was the National Security Advisor (2001-2005). She is currently a political science professor at Stanford University. Condoleezza Rice as born on November 14, 1954, in Birmingham, Alabama. She was the only child of John Wesley Rice, a Presbyterian minister and a high school guidance counselor, and Angelena Ray, a high school science, music, and speech teacher. From an early age, Condoleezza learned about the arts, studying ballet and music. At the age of fifteen, Condoleezza began playing with the Denver Symphony, Although she loved music and still plays the piano, her interests turned to politics. After graduating from St. Mary’s Academy in 1970, Rice enrolled at the University of Denver. She graduated at the age of nineteen with a degree in political science. She went on to earn a Master’s Degree in political science from the University of Notre Dame. Next Back

Condoleezza Rice(continued) She then earned a doctorate international studies from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. Rice became a professor at Stanford University. She also served as an advisor for President George H. W. Bush, where her understanding of Soviet politics made her a valuable source of advice in post-Soviet and U.S. relations. She also served on the board of a number of corporations, and her knowledge of post-Soviet Russia was very helpful to them. In 1993, Rice became the Provost of Stanford University. She was the first female, first minority, and the youngest Provost in the University’s history. In 2001, President Bush named Rice as his National Security Advisor. She was the first woman to hold the post. In 2005, Rice became the Secretary of State. She is generally regarded as having a cool strength, and as being both highly educated and extremely self-possessed. In addition to breaking sex and color barriers in government, she is noted for her calm demeanor and her efforts at diplomacy during a turbulent time in her nation’s history. Test Back

Martin Luther King Jr Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Georgia in 1929. He was a good student, and went to college to become a preacher. He went on to become a great speaker and a famous American leader. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the main leaders of the civil rights movement. “Civil rights” are rights that should belong to all of the citizens of the country. The civil rights movement in the 1960s focused mainly on equal rights for African=Americans. Dr. King worked to make things equal for people regardless of their race, or color of their skin. Dr. King was a minister. He made many speeches and he gave sermons in his church about what was and was not fair. His speeches helped many people to understand these issues. Dr. King believed that it was important to fight for what was right without using violence. The nonviolent protests that Dr. King organized and in which he participated, including marches and sit-ins (where people would sit in an area where something bad had happened, and they wouldn’t do anything, but they wouldn’t leave ),persuaded many Americans that the civil rights movement was right. Next Back

Martin Luther King Jr(continued) Although Dr. King was a powerful leader and had many followers, not everybody liked him. Some people even hated him or thought he was dangerous. He was assassinated, or murdered, in Tennessee in 1968. He is buried at the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Martin Luther King is remembered for his famous speeches, for his strong principles, and for his tireless work for equality and peace. He is honored in the United States every year in January. A national holiday, called Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, is celebrated on the third Monday in January. Test Back

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama is America’s 44th President. He was born on August 4th, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Ann Dunham, a white American from Kansas, and Barack Obama, Sr., who was from Kenya. Barack was the only child born to his parents, who married on February 2, 1961, and divorced in 1964, but he has seven half-siblings from his father’s family, and one half-sister with whom he was raised, the daughter of his mother and her second husband. As a child, Barack moved from Hawaii to Indonesia, when his mother’s Indonesian second husband had to return in 1967. Barack attended school there but returned to Hawaii when he was ten years old, where his grandparents raised him. He graduated from high school, where he was said to be mature for his age, in 1979. He first attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, before transferring to Columbia University in New York City. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in political science in 1983. He worked for four years in New York. He then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a community organizer, doing things such as helping people find jobs or prepare for college, before entering Harvard Law School in 1988. next Back

Barack Obama(continued) In his second year at Harvard, he was elected President of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated from Harvard in 1991 with a Juris Doctor degree, and returned to Chicago. Obama organized a successful voter registration drive in Illinois in 1992. He published his first book of memoirs, Dreams from My Father, in 1995. He taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years. He also worked at a law firm and as a community organizer. Obama was elected to the Illinois state Senate in 1996. He served there until 2004, working to reform ethics and health-care laws: achieve tax credits for low-income workers; negotiate welfare reform; and promote increased subsidies for childcare. He worked to change unfair lending practices, and was praised by police organizations for police reforms he initiated. He was elected to the US Senate in 2004, making him the fifth African-American senator in history. Next Back

Barack Obama(continued) Barack Obama ran for President in the 2008 campaign. His running mate was Senator Joe Biden from Delaware. His main opponent was Senator John McCain from Arizona. Obama, an eloquent and inspiring orator, communicated a message of change and hope during his campaign. On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama won the election. He was inaugurated on January 20th, 2009, on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C and became America’s first African-American President. Test Back

Louis Armstrong One of the poorer sections of New Orleans welcomed Louis Armstrong to the world on August 4, 1901. He was a hardworking child who tried to help support his mother and sister by doing any job he could find. He sold newspapers, unloaded boats, and sold coal from a cart. Often he would sing on street corners for coins. When he was seven years old, he somehow managed to buy his first musical instrument, a cornet. At the age of twelve, Louis was sent to the Jones Home for Colored Waifs because he had fired a pistol on New Year’s Eve. It was at the home where Louis would receive his first formal musical training. He later played in the Home’s band. After his release, he was able to support himself as a musician by playing in various bands and with his mentor, Joe “King” Oliver. Oliver and a few other musicians were creating a new type of music: jazz. In the early 1920s Louis Armstrong left New Orleans for Chicago to play with “King” Oliver. He later moved on to New York where he improvised many new trumpet solos that wowed audiences. Next Back

Louis Armstrong(continued) Some said Louis Armstrong used his horn like a singer’s voice, and his voice like a musical instrument. In 1929, he returned to New York where he performed in Harlem and made his first jazz recordings. Jazz had turned into a worldwide phenomenon and Louis Armstrong was the leader. By the late 1930s, Louis was one of the most significant artists in music. His individual style influenced the big band sound and “swing” music. He was often labeled the “greatest of all jazz musicians”. As World War II and then the Cold War raged on, Louis Armstrong became known as “Ambassador Satch”. He spread good will for America around the world. The state department sponsored many tours, which made Louis Armstrong into an international celebrity. His death on July 6, 1971 was front page news around the globe. More tan 25,000 mourners filed past his coffin at the New York National Guard Armory. Louis Armstrong is well known for his rendition of “It’s a Wonderful World” which he recorded in 1970. He gave a spoken introduction that sums up his philosophy for life, “And all I’m saying is see what a wonderful world it would be if only we would give it a chance.” Test Back

Harriett Tubman The Underground Railroad was not a real railroad. It was a way for slaves to escape to freedom in the North. “Conductors: were the people who helped the runaway slaves. They showed them places to hide and gave them food and clothing. Harriet Tubman was one of the most famous “conductors” on the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman made many trips into the South and helped over 300 slaves get to freedom in the North. She once said that she “never lost a single passenger.” Harriet Tubman was born a slave around 1820 in Maryland. She helped with chores in the house like cooking and cleaning. When she was about 13, she was sent to work in the fields. Men called “overseers” watched the slaves work to make sure they did a good job. One day, an overseer got mad at another slave. He threw a heavy rock at the slave. Harriet got in front of the slave to protect him. She got hit in the head and was very badly hurt. Even though Harriet got hurt, it was important for her to protect and help others. After many years as a slave, Harriet decided to run away. Quietly, she left the farm and ran north. Next Back

Harriett Tubman(continued) Harriet settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and worked very hard. She saved her money and enjoyed her life as a free woman. But, Harriet missed her family and worried about them. So, she returned to the farm in Maryland and helped her sister escape to freedom. For the first few trips, Harriet helped her nieces, nephews, and brothers escape to freedom. She even made a trip to help her 70-year old parents reach freedom. Later, Harriet helped other slaves escape to the North. Harriet Tubman was a very clever conductor. She knew that the masters would be angry if their slaves ran away. Many slave-owners put ads in the newspaper offering a reward if their slaves were caught. But, the ads wouldn’t be in the paper until Monday morning. So, Harriet would leave on Saturday night! She and the slaves would get a two-day head start on their run to freedom. Sometimes she would head north and then tell the slaves to turn around and head back south. Then they’d head north again! Why would she do this? There were people looking for the slaves called slave would change her directions so that the hunters would get confused. Next Back

Harriett Tubman(continued) The hunters wanted to capture Harriet so badly tat they offered a $40,000 reward for her capture! Harriet hated slavery so much that she became friends with other people who hated slavery. These people were called “abolitionists” . Sometimes they had meetings to talk about how terrible slavery was. Harriet gave many speeches about slavery and freedom. She became even more famous. During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman worked as a cook, a nurse, and even a spy. She lived many years helping others and speaking about freedom. Harriet Tubman died in 1913 when she was 93 years old. Next Back

Colin Powell Colin Powell was born in New York City, on April 5th 1937. The son of Jamaican immigrants, he attended New York public schools. He earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the City College of New York, where he also joined ROTC. He graduated in 1958 with a commission as a Army lieutenant. He later earned a master’s degree in business administration from George Washington University. Colin Powell was a soldier for over thirty-five years, and rose to the rank of a Four Star General before he retired. He was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest position in the Department of Defense. While he served as Chairman, he oversaw twenty-eight conflicts, including Operation Desert Storm in 1991. When Colin Powell retired from the military, he wrote his autobiography, and served as the chairman of America’s Promise, a national organization that helps the development of young people in America. Next Back

Colin Powell(continued) Colin Powell was awarded many military awards and decorations, both in the U.S. and abroad. He has also been presented with many civilian awards, including two Presidential Medals of Freedom. Schools and other institutions have been named after him. In December 2000, President George W. Bush nominated Colin Powell to serve as his Secretary of State. In January 2001, Colin Powell was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State. He is married to Alma Johnson, and they are the parents of three children, and the grandparents of two children. Test Back

Jackie Robinson • Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, on January 31, 1919, to • Jerry and Mallie Robinson. Jackie’s father left the family when Jackie • was six months old. His mother moved with his four brothers and sisters • to Pasadena, California, to make a better life for her family. • Jackie loved sports. He went to college at Pasadena Junior College for • two years, where he broke records in basketball, football, baseball, and • track. Then, Jackie went to UCLA in 1938. • World War II began in Europe in 1939. Jackie was drafted into the U.S. • Army in 1942. He applied for the Officers Candidate school with several • other black soldiers. They were all told they would not be admitted. • Jackie left the army in 1944 and returned to sports. • Jackie played baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro • American League in 1945. He played for the Montreal Royals, a minor • league in 1946. • Jackie Robinson was recognized as an outstanding athlete and a strong minded man. He made history when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in • 1947. He was the first black American to play major league baseball. • Jackie played with the Dodgers for ten years. He won the national • league’s most valuable player award in 1949. Jackie Robinson was • elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Back Test

Oprah Winfrey • ©2009 abcteach.com • OPRAH WINFREY • Oprah Winfrey is a television personality. She is most famous for her • eponymous television program, The Oprah Winfrey Show. The show is • watched in several countries around the world, has won many awards, and • is the most-watched talk show in history. Oprah Winfrey is also known as a • cultural trendsetter and a philanthropist. • Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi, to • Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey. Raised at first by her grandmother and • then later by her mother, Oprah grew up in poverty. Despite the family’s • financial difficulties and many other emotional challenges, Oprah learned to • read before she was three, mastered public speaking at an early age by • reciting aloud in church, and did very well in school. At the age of fourteen, • Oprah went to live with her father in Nashville, Tennessee. She was an • excellent student, especially in speech and drama, and won a full • scholarship to Tennessee State University. Next Back

Oprah Winfrey (continued) • While still in high school, Oprah started working at a radio station. She • became the youngest and first black female news anchor at Nashville’s • WTVF-TV station in 1972. She moved to Baltimore in 1976, and was a coanchor • at WJZ-TV for two years. She was hired to host the station’s chat • show People Are Talking in 1978. Oprah became the host of AM Chicago in • 1983. The show was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986. Winfrey • established Harpo Productions (Harpo is Oprah spelled backwards) and • signed a syndication deal. • The Oprah Winfrey Show was initially a casual talk show. Winfrey was • praised for her empathetic manner and her genuine humor. The show • gradually changed in format, and began addressing more serious issues, • though Winfrey’s understanding approach to her guests remained constant. • This appealed to a wide audience: the show is now the highest rated talk • show in the United States, and the longest running. As the show increased • in popularity, Winfrey became a cultural icon. She is considered one of the • most influential women in the world. • In addition to her television program, Winfrey is an actress (nominated for • an Academy Award for her performance in The Color Purple), a publisher • (O magazines), an author (five books), a website, and more. She is also a • noted philanthropist, giving more money to charity than any other celebrity • does. Back Test

Task • At the end of your reading you will be able to: • Recognize famous African Americans and their contribution to society. • Open websites to find research information • Summarize biographies of famous African Americans Back Next

Credits/ References • abcteach.com • Google images • http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/li/List_of_famous_African-Americans • http://www.multcolib.org/homework/aframhc.html Home

Content Standards • Describe the role of major civil rights leaders and significant events occurring during the modern Civil Rights Movement. civil rights leaders – Rosa Parks; Martin Luther King Jr. • Collect information from a variety of digital sources. • Compare the genre characteristics of biographies. • Use organizing and paraphrasing in the research process. • Use search strategies in the research process to identify reliable current resources and computer technology to locate information. Home

Evaluation Home

Resources • Biography Summary Sheet • Use the following websites to find biographies of famous African Americans. • http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/li/List_of_famous_African-Americans • http://www.multcolib.org/homework/aframhc.html Home

Black History Month By: Cindy M. Cassady