From politics of colour to class: Black History Month insights

 As the world marks Black History Month, perhaps it is time to reflect afresh on identity and freedom. [iStockphoto]

On the literary front, February is the month when the world marks what has come to be known as Black History Month. Originally marked by month-long activities mainly in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established by Carter G. Woodson in 1926 as “Negro History Week” to acknowledge the contribution of African-Americans to the socio-cultural and economic development of the US and Canada.

A former coal mine worker and son of former slaves, Carter G. Woodson defied the odds to become the second African-American – after W. E. B. Du Bois – to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. He chose February as Black History Month because it is also the birthday month of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both of whom are closely associated with the abolition of slavery.