Father of Black History

One of the most frequent questions asked today are whether Americans are truly free and equal. It has all began with the first arrival of African-Americans that arrived to North America in 1619 on a boat carrying 20 slaves from the Caribbean.   Everybody has different, and their own interpretations of what freedom and equality means to them, but for me there is only one. There have been many different figures that have effected the meaning of freedom and equality. One of the examples was Carter G. Woodson. Even though the “Freedom” and “Equality” in America today plays a big part in our communities, there are still doubts to what it truly means and how it is represented today.



            According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, freedom means the quality or state of being free. But what does “free” actually mean? For me it means to have the free will to do anything, anywhere, at any time. Many people may say that that is the way it is, but there are laws that certainly state the opposite. On the other hand, equality also according to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary means, the quality or state of being equal. Again, the question of what does equal mean arises. In my opinion, in general equality means two things being the same. Just like in math, when the two values are equal to each other, they are the same exact numbers. In our society that is the way people think our society is like. But a deeper meaning of equality is the equality of different races and being accepted by each other, as well as being treated the same way.



            Carter G. Woodson, also known as the “Father of Black History,” Carter G. Woodson wrote several books focusing on the African American life at that time. He was the one to launch Negro History Week, now Black History Month, in 1926. Carter G. Woodson believed that by publishing African American contributions was essential to gaining the respect from other races.



            That is what equality...