Did you know that the NAACP was founded in 1909 on February 12^th what would have been Abraham Lincoln’s 100^th birthday?  In the following decades, Negro History Week was celebrated in mid-February in many cities, coinciding with Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’ birthdays.  Negro History Week evolved into Black History Month in the late 1960’s and then in 1976 President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Learn more about black history and culture from Africa to the Civil Rights movement by attending a special Black History Month program at Madison Public Library on Wednesday, February 8^th at 6:30 p.m. presented by Majestic Wings Educational Services.  Janice Chappell will lead this interactive program that is suitable for students in the 4^th grade and up.  Bring the family and you will all go home with a greater understanding of this period in history.

Check out our books on Douglass and Lincoln in the ‘Gold – Biographies’ section of both the adult and children’s non-fiction area and the Civil Rights Movement in ‘Gold-History-US-African American’ and/or the ‘Gold-History-US-1900’s-1960-Civil Rts’ area.