R 031620Z FEB 15
MARADMIN 048/15
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP/MPE//
SUBJ/2015 NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE//
POC/M. J. SHEPPARD/CIV/UNIT: MPE/-/TEL: (703)784-9371/TEL: DSN 278-9371//
TEL: COMM (703)784-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  BLACK HISTORY MONTH WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED AS “NEGRO HISTORY WEEK” IN 1926 BY CARTER G. WOODSON, A NOTED AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIAN, SCHOLAR, EDUCATOR, AND PUBLISHER. IN 1976,“NEGRO HISTORY WEEK” BECAME A MONTH-LONG CELEBRATION. FEBRUARY WAS DESIGNATED AS THE MONTH TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY TO COINCIDE WITH THE BIRTHDAYS OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS AND ABRAHAM LINCOLN. DR. WOODSON ALSO  FOUNDED THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY (ASALH), WHICH SOUGHT TO CREATE AN OBSERVANCE TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE HERITAGE, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY AFRICAN AMERICANS TO AMERICAN SOCIETY.
2.  THE 2015 BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME IS “A CENTURY OF BLACK LIFE, HISTORY, AND CULTURE.” DR. BENJAMIN HOOKS WAS ONE OF MANY PROMINENT AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.  DR. HOOKS WAS APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON AS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEMBER OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.  HE LATER RELINQUISHED THAT POST IN 1977 TO BECOME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP). DR. HOOKS WAS AWARDED THE NAACP’S HIGHEST HONOR, THE SPINGARN AWARD FOR HIS LIFETIME COMMITMENT TO CIVIL RIGHTS AND IN TRIBUTE TO HIS PRECEDENT-SETTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
3.  PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JAMES ANDERSON, JR. WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR IN 1967. HE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN MARINE TO RECEIVE THE MEDAL OF HONOR. PFC ANDERSON ARRIVED IN THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM, WHERE HE SERVED AS A RIFLEMAN WITH COMPANY F, 2D BATTALION, 3D MARINES, 3D MARINE DIVISION IN QUANG TRI PROVINCE. DURING A FIREFIGHT WITH THE ENEMY, A GRENADE LANDED WHERE HIS PLATOON WAS TAKING COVER. PFC ANDERSON MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE BY JUMPING ON THE GRENADE, ABSORBING MOST OF THE IMPACT AND SAVING THE LIVES OF HIS FELLOW MARINES.
4.  TO ENRICH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IS TO BROADEN OUR KNOWLEDGE 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 (SES) MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//