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Black History Month Protest

MUDCAT FALLS -- Protests over Black History Month came from an unexpected quarter, when a group of demonstrators, led by local second generation civil rights leader Reverend Montgomery Selma Jackson, marched outside the Calabash County Courthouse against February being the month designated to celebrate the achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African-Americans in U.S. History.

"The Constitution made us three-fifths of a person," exclaimed Jackson, head of the Council of Leadership for African-American Parity. "And even now -- more than two hundred years later -- we are still only nine-tenths whole in the eyes of this society."

CLAP contends that selecting the shortest month of the year to honor African-Americans is a perpetuation of inequality and racism in the United States. The United Kingdom celebrates African-American History Month in October, which has thirty-one days. February normally has only twenty-eight days, though every fourth year, known as "leap year," the month is twenty-nine days long.

Black History Month actually started as Negro History Week in 1926 by noted historian Carter G. Woodson. The goal of Black History Week was to educate the American people about African-Americans' cultural backgrounds and reputable achievements. Every President since 1976 has officially designated February as Black History Month.

"Dr. King's dream of equality was not to put one black family in the White House -- the dream was to make everything equal in everybody's house," lectured Jackson. "And with the Super Bowl, the Grammies and NASCAR's Daytona 500, nobody's paying any attention to history."

The month of February is also American Heart Month, International Boost Self-Esteem Month, International Embroidery Month, Library Lovers Month, National Cherry Month, National Children’s Dental Health Month, National Snack Food Month, and Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month.

Instead of demanding a new month, CLAP is calling on Congress to pass legislation establishing an outcome based calendar, where every month is equal with thirty days each, though a consensus of astronomers and scientists has called the proposal unworkable for technical reasons.

CLAP is also seeking to extend Title IX Affirmative Action to months, holidays and special events to assure the proper priority and attention is accorded to Woodson's original vision.






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