Black History Month Resources

Overview

BLACK HISTORY MONTH RESOURCES

Sid Jacobson JCC celebrates Black History Month and supports our local Black Community by highlighting influential African-American individuals from Long Island. Black-owned businesses, events, resources for parents, and more. These lists are not comprehensive, but we hope they can be a wonderful start for your celebration or journey to learn more about Black history and support the local community, any time of year.

INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE RESOURCES UNITY TIMELINE

United: The African American and Jewish Quest for Justice and Equality

Over the decades, our communities have come together in the pursuit of justice and equality, from early civil rights efforts to the ongoing fights for freedom and human rights today. Our shared stories highlight the contributions of Upstanders—individuals and events that have championed these causes at every step.

1900s-1930s

Breaking News: NAACP Founded, A New Era of Equality is Among Us!

Defying Hate: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Fights for Justice Amid Klan Intimidation

References
1909 Founding of the NAACP
Census.gov

The Great Migration 1910-1970
Archives.gov

Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Union Formed
Library of Congress

1940s-1950s

Allies Join the Fight for Racial Justice Amid Marian Anderson’s Historic Moment

Supreme Court Overturns ‘Separate but Equal’: Landmark Ruling Ends School Segregation

The Little Rock Nine’s Historic Battle for School Integration in Arkansas

Rosa Parks Ignites Civil Rights Movement

References

Eleanor Roosevelt with Marian Anderson in Japan
whitehousehistory.org

Lonnie E. Smith (1901-1971).
blackpast.org

Thurgood Marshall and the Smith v. Allwrigh Complaint
ldfrecollection.org

The Little Rock Nine
nmaahc.si.edu

Rosa Parks
history.com

1960s-1970s

Greensboro Sit-Ins Spark Nationwide Movement: Students Lead Charge Against Segregation

A Call to End Silence and Injustice: Rabbi Prinz’s Powerful Speech at March on Washington

Historic March on Washington: United Front Demands Jobs, Freedom, and End to Segregation

Shirley Chisholm Breaks Barriers: Pioneering Political Trailblazer Inspires Generations

References
Greensboro sit-in
northcarolinahistory.org

Joachim Prinz
joachimprinz.com

Levison, Stanley David
kinginstitute.stanford.edu

Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005)
womenshistory.org

1980s-1990s

Black and Jewish Communities Unite: Renewing the Voting Rights Act and Strengthening Bonds

United for Freedom: Black and Jewish Leaders Rally for Soviet Jewry

Reference:

AJC’s Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition
ajc.org

Archive of the American Soviet Jewry Movement
ajhs.org

Freedom Sunday and the Soviet Jewry Movement/
ajc.org

2000s-2010s

Standing Together: Shabbat of Solidarity Unites Communities Against Racism

Black and Jewish Communities Unite: Renewing the Voting Rights Act and Strengthening Bonds

References

Shabbat of Solidarity in Modesto
modbee.com

Hunt relaunch bipartisan congressional caucus on Black-Jewish relations
wassermanschultz.house.gov

10 great moments of #BlackJewishUnity
ajc.org

Current

Hundreds of Thousands Shows Solidarity with Israel and Condemns Antisemitism

Black and Jewish Communities Unite: Renewing the Voting Rights Act and Strengthening Bonds

Black and Jewish Leaders Unite to Combat antisemitism and Protect Jewish Identity

References

Ritchie Torres condemns recent antisemitic incidents on college campuses, pushes for federal action
ritchietorres.house.gov

Organizers of 60th anniversary of march on Washington stand in solidarity against hatred
naacp.org

Historic pro-Israel rally in DC draws massive crowd
proquest.com

INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE FROM LONG ISLAND

Dr. Hazel N. Dukes moved to Roslyn in 1956. She fought housing discrimination in the community and helped elect the first Black member of the Roslyn School Board. Dr. Dukes is the president of the NAACP New York State Conference and is on the organization’s national board of directors.

Eddie Murphy is a movie star, singer, and most famously known as a comedian. He was raised in Roosevelt and attended Roosevelt Senior High School. In 2020, Murphy was listed as one of the “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time” by Comedy Central.

John Coltrane was a Jazz saxophonist who lived in Dix Hills from 1964 until his death in 1967. Coltrane created some of the most influential works of jazz, including his magnum opus “A Love Supreme.” He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.

Julius Winfield Erving II, known as Dr. J, is an NBA basketball hall of famer from East Meadow. Dr. J was the best-known player when the American Basketball Association (ABA) merged into the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the 1975–1976 season.

Dorothy Goosby of Hempstead Village led a 1988 lawsuit that challenged the town’s at-large voting system, which disenfranchised minority voters. Goosby also went on to become the first African American woman on the Hempstead Town Board on February 1, 1999.

Lee A. Hayes, of Easthampton served as a Tuskegee Airman Pilot during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen broke the color barrier in the U.S. military as the first all-black aviators in the Army’s history.

Major General Joseph McNeil, of Hempstead was one of four leaders of the Greensboro Sit-In, helping to spark a national movement forcing partial integration and increasing national awareness of the racial segregation faced by Black Americans in the South.

David Paterson is a graduate of Hempstead High School and Hofstra Law School. In 2008, he became New York’s first African-American lieutenant governor and then state’s first African-American governor. Paterson is also the first visually impaired person to address the Democratic National Convention.

FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Historian Carter G. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). In 1925, ASNL launched Negro History Week, celebrated during a specific week in February encompassing the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

In 1976, coinciding with the nation’s bicentennial, the celebration grew to an entire month. During this month, President Gerald Ford encouraged Americans to acknowledge the significant, yet often overlooked, achievements of Black Americans in various fields throughout history. This tradition of presidential proclamations has continued ever since.

The 2024 theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” delves into the experiences of Africans, Caribbeans, and Black Americans, exploring their rich history through diverse artistic expressions.