Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/113255
24-32__BMT_pg3-58 2/27/13 8:06 AM Page 24 HERITAGE TOURISM NOT ONLY A STRONG DRAW DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH BUT ALL YEAR LONG BY MICHAEL BENNETT lack History Month was actually founded as Negro History Week in 1926. This celebration of Black history was the brainchild of Carter G. Woodson, the son of former slaves. He and three others formed the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). Woodson recognized during a 1915 event in Chicago celebrating the 50th anniversary to the end of slavery, that history as it was taught at the time did not mention the contributions or plight of African-Americans. To highlight Black history ASNLH produced pamphlets, books and other materials that provided the framework for what would become Negro History Week. The original Negro History Week was celebrated during the second week of February. That week was chosen because it was the birth week of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In 1976, Black History Week was expanded and became Black History Month. Each year this month comes with a theme. The theme for 2013 is "At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality." The first part of that theme, "Freedom" refers to the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. While the Emancipation Proclamation didn't legally free all the slaves, President Lincoln's signature on this historic document paved the way to passage of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. The second part of theme refers to the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for equality highlighted by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his famous "I Have a Dream Speech." These two seminal events in Black history did not occur during Black History Month. The March on Washington occurred in late August and the Emancipation Proclamation took effect January 1, 1863. While the nation celebrates these achievements in a single month the movement of history didn't stop and wait for February. Rosa Parks didn't wait until February to refuse to give up her seat. Today, heritage tourism is a booming year-round business. The museums and events in places like Birmingham, Baltimore, Greensboro, Washington DC, Pensacola, Norfolk and Charlottesville, VA are more than Black History Month destinations. Study after study suggests that heritage tourism plays a major role in the selection of a vacation destination. Below are some places with year-round offerings to consider for your next trip. B Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Washington D.C 24 B M & T ••• January/February 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com