R 081443Z JAN 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 011/13
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/2013 NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE//
POC/M. J. SHEPPARD/CIV/UNIT: MPE/-/TEL: (703)784-9371/TEL: DSN 278-9371/
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 2013 BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME IS "AT THE CROSSROADS OF FREEDOM AND EQUALITY: THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION AND THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON." THIS YEAR'S THEME WILL MARK TWO MAJOR MILESTONES IN THE FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY. THIS YEAR MARKS THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S SIGNING OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, THE EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT PROCLAIMED THOSE ENSLAVED IN CONFEDERATE TERRITORY TO BE FREE. THE PROCLAMATION PAVED THE WAY FOR THE RATIFICATION OF THE THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT, WHICH MADE SLAVERY ILLEGAL EVERYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES. 2013 IS ALSO THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S HISTORIC MARCH ON WASHINGTON TO THE STEPS OF THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, WHERE HE GAVE HIS FAMOUS 'I HAVE A DREAM' SPEECH TO A CROWD OF 250,000 PEOPLE.
3. FROM 1942-1949, APPROXIMATELY 20,000 AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN ENLISTED IN THE MARINE CORPS AND COMPLETED SEGREGATED BOOT CAMP AT MONTFORD POINT CAMP, JACKSONVILLE, NC. MANY OF THESE MARINES SERVED WITH DISTINCTION DURING WORLD WAR II, THE KOREAN WAR AND THE WAR IN VIETNAM, IN SOME INSTANCES, MAKING THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. THESE PIONEERS, KNOWN AS THE MONTFORD POINT MARINES, ADDED TO THE RICH HISTORY OF THE MARINE CORPS AND PAVED THE WAY FOR FUTURE SERVICE MEMBERS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS, MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE.
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 BLACK 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 (SES) MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//