February passed by in the blink of an eye. It was learning new things and sharing them. To close the celebration, (even though it’s the first week of March), I’ve gathered up a few fun facts that you may or may not know. To those that have been following my articles for the past four weeks: thank you.

Week 1:https://www.theodysseyonline.com/2nd-annual-black-history-celebration-part-1-of-5

Week 2:https://www.theodysseyonline.com/2nd-annual-black-history-celebration-part-2-of-5

Week 3: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/2nd-annual-black-history-celebration-part-3-of-5

Week 4:https://www.theodysseyonline.com/2nd-annual-black-history-celebration-part-4-of-5

1. Black History Month was first known as “Negro History Week” in 1926, created by Carter G. Wilson. It was an established celebration in 1976.
2. “Journalist Ida Wells-Barnett refused to give up her railcar seat for a white man in 1884, and bit a conductor on the hand when he tried to force her. She was dragged off the train. She sued the railroad and initially won, but the decision was overturned.”
3. “ Lincoln University in Pennsylvania is the first institution of higher education founded for African-Americans. It paved the way for the 104 other historically Black colleges, which have produced distinguished alums like Thurgood Marshall, Spike Lee, and the almighty Oprah.”
4. “Before he was a blockbuster actor, Will Smith was The Fresh Prince and, along with partner Jazzy Jeff, won the first-ever Grammy for Best Rap Performance. They boycotted the awards because the category was barred from television.”
5. “At age 42, Satchel Paige became the oldest rookie to play Major League Baseball and continued to play until he was 47.”
6. “Barack Obama is a lot of firsts, but he’s also a Grammy award winner. His audio books, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope, won Best Spoken Word Album in 2008.”
7. “Both Condoleezza Rice and Martin Luther King, Jr. started college when they were just 15 years old. She studied political science at the University of Denver; he majored in sociology at Morehouse College in Atlanta.”
8. “Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first Black major-party presidential candidate survived three assassination attempts during her 1972 campaign.”

Source: http://thestir.cafemom.com/politics_views/132491/29_cool_surprising_black_history

“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” —Desmond Tutu