R 282105Z JAN 10
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 054/10
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/2010 NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH//
POC/D. G. JACOBS/CAPT/UNIT:CMC (MPE)/-/TEL:(703) 784-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  AFRICAN AMERICAN 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.  DR. WOODSON SELECTED THE SECOND WEEK OF FEBRUARY TO COMMEMORATE NEGRO HISTORY WEEK BECAUSE IT MARKED THE BIRTHDAYS OF TWO AMERICANS WHO GREATLY INFLUENCED THE LIVES AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS: FORMER PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND FORMER SLAVE AND ABOLITIONIST FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
2.  THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH THEME IS "THE HISTORY OF BLACK ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT."  THIS YEAR'S THEME CELEBRATES THE CENTENNIAL OF THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE.  FOUNDED IN 1910, THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE IS A HISTORIC CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN ORDER TO ELEVATE THE STANDARD OF LIVING IN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED URBAN COMMUNITIES.  TODAY, THROUGH DEVELOPING PROGRAMS, PUBLIC POLICY, RESEARCH, AND ADVOCACY, THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE IMPACTS AND IMPROVES THE LIVES OF MORE THAN TWO MILLION PEOPLE NATIONWIDE.
3.  AS WE COMMEMORATE THE TREMENDOUS IMPACT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NATION, WE ARE ESPECIALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED PROUDLY AS UNITED STATES MARINES.  CLOSE TO THIRTY THOUSAND AFRICAN AMERICAN MARINES HAVE DEPLOYED IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM AND OF THESE AFRICAN AMERICAN MARINES, TWO HAVE EARNED THE NAVY CROSS, ONE HAS RECEIVED THE SILVER STAR, AND THERE HAVE BEEN 151 RECIPIENTS OF THE BRONZE STAR IN WHICH 38 OF THE RECIPIENTS WERE RECOGNIZED FOR VALOR.  36 AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN COMBAT.
4.  DURING NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH, COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE TIME TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, TO OUR COUNTRY AND CORPS.  COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS AT THEIR COMMANDS AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
5.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) MR. M. F.  APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//