Honoring Black History Month 2024
Carter G. Woodson, a founder of the Association for the Study of African American History, chose February for Negro History Week.
Black History Month is considered one of the nation’s oldest organized history celebrations and has been recognized by U.S. presidents for decades through proclamations and celebrations. CBS 8 honored Black History Month during the month of February.
Black History Month
Why is Black History Month in February? Carter G. Woodson, a founder of the Association for the Study of African American History, chose February for Negro History Week because it had the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, and Douglass, a former slave who did not know his exact birthday, celebrated his on Feb. 14.
Daryl Michael Scott, a Howard University history professor and former ASAAH president, said Woodson chose that week because Black Americans were already celebrating Lincoln’s and Douglass’s birthdays. With the help of Black newspapers, he promoted that week as a time to focus on African-American history as part of the celebrations that were already ongoing.
The first Negro History Week was announced in February 1926.
“This was a community effort spearheaded by Woodson that built on tradition, and built on Black institutional life and structures to create a new celebration that was a week long, and it took off like a rocket,” Scott said.
Black paramedics
Yes, the first paramedics in the U.S. were Black men. The Freedom House Ambulance Service, staffed by Black paramedics in Pittsburgh, was the first ambulance service to offer emergency medical treatment in the U.S. Here's how we Verified it.
Lost sleep for Black Americans
The effect of police violence on Black Americans is tracked in two new studies, with one tying police-involved deaths to sleep disturbances and the other finding a racial gap in injuries involving police use of Tasers.
The health effects of police violence on Black people “need to be documented as a critical first step to reduce these harms,” three editors of JAMA Internal Medicine wrote in an editorial published Monday with the studies.
For the sleep study, researchers looked at responses from more than 2 million people from 2013 through 2019 in two large government surveys. They focused on people's reports of sleep in the months following police-involved killings of unarmed Black people.
First Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl
Thirty-five years ago, the Denver Broncos took on the Washington Redskins (now Washington Commanders) at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego in Super Bowl 22. Washington would end up winning, defeating Denver 42-10 during the 1998 game but the real history made was out on the field. Washington's quarterback Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.
Future in STEM
A local engineer wants to help Black students write their own future in STEM. The Sorrento Valley biomedical scientist authored a children’s book to inspire diversity in the field of science.
Equity gaps
Dr. Tina Ngo Bartel, executive director, San Diego & Imperial Center of Excellence, joined CBS 8 Mornings to discuss the equity gaps among Black students.
Chauncey Maynor and DJ Red Lite
Two-time San Diego Music Award nominee, singer, songwriter, and lyricist Chauncey Maynor and DJ Red Lite perform on CBS 8 Mornings.
SD Unified celebrates Black History Month
Students and staff across San Diego Unified celebrated Black History Month, which included the raising of the Black History Month flag.