Avoice Celebrates Black History Month

February 2010

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, first proposed the idea of "Negro History Week" in February 1926. Since then the idea has evolved into Black History Month. We take the opportunity every February to honor the history of African-American contributions to American life.

February 2010 also marks some important anniversaries in African-American history, most notably, the 145th anniversary of the signing of the 13th Amendment on February 1, 1865 and the 140th anniversary of the ratification of the 15th Amendment on February 3, 1870.

The 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery in the United States and the 15th Amendment prohibited government in the United States from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race, color, or “previous condition of servitude” (slavery). These two amendments opened the door for African Americans to participate in the United States government and, in February 1870, Mississippi Senator Hiram R. Revels became the first of 22 African Americans to serve in Congress during the 1800s.

This Black History Month, Avoice salutes those who helped pass these two vital amendments and the men who blazed the trail for blacks in Congress during the 19th Century.

Read bios of the 19th Century African-American Congressmen .

Dear Rep. Shirley Chisholm...

Honoring Representative Shirley Chisholm's Historic Leadership

On September 25, 2009, Avoice hosted an issue forum honoring the historic leadership of the CBC's first female member, Rep. Shirley Chisholm, at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 39th Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. Panelists spoke about Rep. Chisholm's leadership on education issues, her run for President, how she helped open the halls of Congress for other women and their own personal reflections of "Ms. C."

As part of the session, Avoice asked current CBC members and many of Rep. Chisholm's former staffers to compose letters sharing what they remember most about Rep. Chisholm and why she made a difference in their lives and the lives of the American people. This touching collection is now a part of the Avoice archives.

View the Avoice Tribute Booklet (PDF required).

New Avoice Resource For Educators!

The Avoice Virtual Library is proud to announce the launch of a new For Educators Section! This collection of lesson units features classroom activities, vocabulary lists, worksheets, timelines, bibliographies and other resources for teachers. Each unit is designed to meet national educational standards and draws on the extensive primary sources in the Avoice collection to give teachers a way to incorporate digitized documents, photos, video and other online resources into their classroom history, social studies, political science and environmental science lessons.

Check out the three lesson units available now:

The Voting Act of 1965

The Anti-Apartheid Movement

The Environmental Justice Movement

This Month in CBC History: The CBC Mourns the Passing of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, A Shinning Star of Excellence

Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones

On August 20, 2008, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones suffered a fatal aneurysm while in her home district of Cleveland, Ohio. Her sudden passing was a shock for our nation and was felt deeply by her family, friends, and fellow members of congress.

With over 26 years of service on the municipal and federal levels, Rep. Tubbs Jones was an exemplarily example of a dedicated public servant. In honor of her life and work, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has released a tribute book with photographs and reflections on Rep. Tubbs Jones’ life and service from her colleagues in Congress.

View the CBCF Stephanie Tubbs Jones Tribute Book

To learn more about Stephanie Tubbs Jones and other African American women who have served in Congress visit the Avoice Women of the CBC Exhibit .