• 39°
Hartselle Enquirer

Black History Month

By Staff
Reflecting back, looking forward
February is Black History Month and this year's theme deals with the Brown v. the Board of Education decision, the landmark case that outlawed legalized racial segregation in public schools.
The theme for Black History Month 2004 is "Before Brown/Beyond Boundaries: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education."
May 17 will mark the 50th anniversary of the 1954 Supreme Court decision.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan., is considered a landmark case because it declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, paving the way for blacks and whites to go to school together.
In Brown v. Board of Education, the court said "in these days, it is doubtful that any child may be reasonably expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity must be made available to all on equal terms." Through this simple sentence, the theory of "separate but equal" was done away with and ordered states to provide equal educational opportunities for all students
Other landmark events in the struggle for Civil Rights include:
On Dec.5, blacks began a boycott of the bus system which continued until shortly after Dec. 13, 1956, when the United States Supreme Court outlawed bus segregation in the city.
The move marked the first time the federal government took major steps to uphold civil rights for black Americans.
In the following week riots occurred in at least 125 places throughout the country.
Black History Month was started by Carter G. Woodson, who felt the contributions of African Americans were often overlooked in their history. The month includes education and cultural programs throughout the country.
, and Dr. Roderick Paige as Secretary of Education.

At a Glance

PowerGrid Services in Hartselle evacuated for bomb threat

Morgan County

20 under 40: Trey Chowning

Falkville

20 under 40: TJ Holmes

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Spencer Bell

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Shelby Keenum

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Rachel Howard

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Mary Virgina Halbrooks

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Maggie McKelvey

Decatur

20 under 40: Maegan Jones

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Lindsey Tapscott

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

‘He lets us have sex’: More details emerge on Hartselle man accused of child exploitation 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Hartselle church creates Easter-themed escape rooms 

Danville

Family tradition: State livestock show legacy spans generations

Editor's picks

Baseball for Beau: More than $8k raised for scholarship named after Hartselle child  

Falkville

20 under 40: Lela Weeks

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Kalleigh Thomas

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Jaime Hatcher

Hartselle

Veteran Hartselle firefighter charged with possessing child porn

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Cerrowire expansion named finalist in Business Alabama Awards  

At a Glance

Work begins on repairing two bridges over I-65 in Morgan County in coming weeks

At a Glance

Tickets for Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame banquet available

Falkville

Morgan County volunteers celebrated at annual fire department banquet 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Man jailed for stealing car from jail after earlier release 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Police: Hartselle man encouraged children to have sex inside his apartment

x