Black History Month actually began as "Negro History Week", a week in February chosen to include the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. These particular dates were selected in order to ensure the week would not just focus on African Americans, but members of other races connected to the history of African Americans and of the United States as a whole. This week-long tribute was originally established by Carter G. Woodson back in 1926 and it wasn't until 1976, a full 50 years later, that this celebration of an essential part of our country’s history was expanded into the month-long event we recognize today.
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At the time Black History Month began, most history books contained very little information about African Americans, with a few exceptions, such as George Washington Carver. Since its creation, Black History Month has played an important role in highlighting the important contributions of African Americans throughout history. It has been over thirty years since Negro History Week became Black History Month and the hope is held by many that one day it will no longer exist at all, that Black History will simply be part of American History and thus will be taught year-round.
To continue to fight the inequalities noted when Black History Month was created, numerous scholarship awards have been created to encourage students to learn, think, and write more extensively about Black History. While some Black History scholarships are scholarships for minorities, others are essay scholarships open to students of all backgrounds. In addition, many Black History scholarships are local scholarships, sponsored by an organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of the diversity in history among students in a particular city or state. A few Black History scholarships are listed below. To determine whether you’re eligible for these, as well as many other college scholarships and scholarship essay contests, conduct a free college scholarship search.
This scholarship is awarded in the fall semester to incoming freshmen who have outstanding academic records; have overcome economic or educational hardship and have a serious commitment to addressing issues of social justice as servant leaders or as scholars. This scholarship ranges from $6,500-$8,500 and is renewable. For more information, or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider's [...] More
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Scholarship was established in 1992 by the North Carolina Association of Educators Minority Affairs Commission under the auspices of the Human and Civil Rights Commission. It continues in partnership with the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children. Scholarship awards are based on the amount of money received annually through donations and the Martin [...] More
It’s February and we have a number of scholarships you can win this month that are based on your love for and performance of music of all kinds. Instrumental Scholarships, Vocal Scholarships, Theater Scholarships, to name just a few. Have you seen that Oscar-Nominated movie about Elvis Presley? Naturally, there are a number of related scholarships and one of them is listed below, worth up to $5,000 and due this Friday. [...]
That’s right, if you live in one of 68 Texas counties and are graduating high school this year, you qualify for a $20,000 scholarship over four years of college. You still have time to complete the profile and upload the necessary documents online. Make sure your FAFSA has been completed and review all the other eligibility requirements as well. You could be one of the 79 students awarded this scholarship and take a huge chunk out of your tuition each of the next four years at any accredited, not-for-profit Texas college or university. [...]
The new Invest in My Education program has been created to help provide access to education as well as ongoing support to the underserved Black and Latino community. [...]
