R 100131Z JAN 12
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 020/12
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/2012 NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE//
POC/R. P.  TAYLOR/MAJ/CMC (MPE)/-/TEL: DSN 278-9371/TEL: COMM (703) 784-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  BLACK HISTORY MONTH ORIGINATED AS NEGRO HISTORY WEEK IN 1926 THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF HISTORIAN DR. CARTER G. WOODSON.  DR. WOODSON, FOUNDER OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY (ASALH), SOUGHT TO CREATE AN OBSERVANCE TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE HERITAGE, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY AFRICAN AMERICANS TO AMERICAN SOCIETY.
2.  THE 2012 BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME IS "BLACK WOMEN IN AMERICAN CULTURE AND HISTORY."  THIS YEAR'S THEME IS IN HONOR OF THE EFFORTS OF WOMEN OF AFRICAN DESCENT WHO HAVE PLAYED A MYRIAD OF ROLES IN HELPING TO SHAPE OUR NATION. THESE WOMEN OF INDOMITABLE WILL HAVE ALL ENRICHED THE NATION THROUGH THEIR LEADERSHIP, PATRIOTISM, INTELLECT AND ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.
3.  IN AMERICAN HISTORY ONLY A FEW OF THE MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF BLACK WOMEN ARE COMMON KNOWLEDGE. THE PROMINENT AND FAMILIAR NAMES OF PHILLIS WHEATLEY, HARRIET TUBMAN, IDA B. WELLS AND ROSA PARKS ARE WIDELY KNOWN FOR ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BLACK COMMMUNITY AND AMERICA AS A WHOLE. HOWEVER, AS EQUALLY IMPORTANT, ARE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK WOMEN MARINES WHO BLAZED NEW TRAILS IN THE TRADITIONS OF AMERICAN PUBLIC SERVICE.  WOMEN SUCH AS ANNIE NEAL GRAHAM WHO WAS THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE TO ENLIST IN THE MARINE CORPS; CAPTAIN VERNICE ARMOUR, THE CORPS' FIRST BLACK FEMALE PILOT AND ITS' FIRST FEMALE COMBAT PILOT, AND COLONEL GILDA JACKSON WHO BECAME THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE COLONEL AND FIRST FEMALE TO COMMAND THE NAVAL AVIATION DEPOT CHERRY POINT.
4.  TO ENRICH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY OF BLACK AMERICANS IS TO BROADEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR NATION'S HISTORY, AS THE TWO ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED. DURING NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH, COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE THE TIME TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE OF EVENTS AT THEIR COMMANDS AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
5.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//