At Oak and Luna, this month we are celebrating what Black History Month means to us. As a company that is proud of the equality that we strive for everyday in our workplace, our mission is to embed diversity and inclusion into everything we do. This February we are honoring the work, culture, and the contribution of African Americans that have shaped American history.
In 1915, historian Carter G. Woodson founded what is known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in order to bring awareness to the contributions made to society by African American People. Negro History Week began in 1926 and it wasn’t until the 1960s that colleges and universities began to celebrate African American history for the full month of February. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In 1975, President Gerald Ford made Black History Month a national holiday.
Today, Black History Month celebrates the past, present and future individuals who are of great influence. Every year a theme is chosen by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and this year in 2020, the theme is African Americans and the Vote. This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. It is also the sesquicentennial of the 15th Amendment, which gave African Americans the right to vote.
