MARADMINS : 009/05
R 062300Z JAN 05
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 009/05
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE 2005//
POC/M. Y. AYRES/CAPT/CALLSIGN:CMC MPE/-/TEL:COMM 703-784-9372
/TEL:DSN 278-9372//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THE OBSERVANCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE
MONTH IS CELEBRATED ANNUALLY DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.
DR. CARTER G. WOODSON ESTABLISHED NEGRO HISTORY WEEK IN 1926
TO CELEBRATE AFRICAN AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN HISTORY.
NEGRO HISTORY WEEK WAS EXPANDED TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN 1976.
2. AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE OFFERED TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR
NATION AND THE MILITARY. GARRETT AUGUSTUS MORGAN INVENTED THE GAS
INHALATOR THAT HAS EVOLVED INTO THE GAS MASK. THE US ARMY USED HIS
DEVICE FOR COMBAT TROOPS DURING WORLD WAR I; HE ALSO INVENTED THE
TRAFFIC LIGHT. SUSAN MATHER INVENTED A SUBMARINE TELESCOPE AND LAMP
THAT PERMITTED SEA-GOING VESSELS TO SURVEY THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN.
MARTHA J. COSTON PERFECTED HER DECEASED HUSBAND'S PYRO-TECHNIC
FLARE. THE US NAVY BOUGHT THE PATENT RIGHTS TO THE FLARES
AND HAVE USED THEM AS THE BASIS OF A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM TO HELP
SAVE LIVES AND WIN BATTLES ON THE SEAS. MORE RECENTLY, MARK DEAN
AND HIS CO-INVENTOR DENNIS MOELLER CREATED A MICROCOMPUTER SYSTEM
THAT ALLOWS PERIPHERAL DEVICES SUCH AS DISK DRIVES, VIDEO GEAR,
SPEAKERS AND SCANNERS TO BE PLUGGED INTO OUR COMPUTERS. OVER THE
YEARS, THE MARINE CORPS HAS BENEFITED IMMENSELY FROM THESE
TECHNOLOGICAL FEATS, AND MANY OTHER INVENTIONS THAT PLAY AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE CORPS'ABILITY TO SUCCEED ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
3. THIS YEAR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) THEME IS "REACHING
OUT TO YOUTH: A STRATEGY FOR EXCELLENCE." THE 2005 THEME FOCUSES
ON THE DOD'S OUTREACH EFFORT TO CONNECT WITH MINORITY CIVILIAN
COMMUNITIES WITH THE INTENT TO ENCOURAGE QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO
SEEK A CAREER WITHIN THE DOD. ENCOURAGING AMERICA'S YOUTH TO
STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE BENEFITS THE ENTIRE NATION AND OUR CORPS.
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS TO COUNTRY AND CORPS ARE
PART OF OUR PROUD HISTORY, ONE THAT CONTINUES TO GROW EACH DAY.
4. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW MARADMIN 568/04 WHICH
SOLICITS NOMINATIONS FOR ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE MARINES TO BE
RECOGNIZED AT THE DOD AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE
EVENT BEING HELD AT ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY (ASU). ASU IS ONE OF
APPROXIMATELY 200 HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
(HBCU'S) ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR
BLACK STUDENTS IN THE YEARS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR. HBCU'S GRADUATE
ONE-THIRD OF AFRICAN AMERICANS EARNING A COLLEGE DEGREE EACH YEAR.
SOME NOTABLE HBCU GRADUATES ARE REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR,
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE THURGOOD MARSHALL, LEONTYNE PRICE AND FORMER
VIRGINIA GOVERNOR L. DOUGLAS WILDER.
5. COMMANDERS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH AND TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE
PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH ON BASE AND IN THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, COMMANDERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO DEVELOP LOCAL
THEMES FOR USE AT THEIR COMMANDS.//