In 1926, Carter G. Woodson announced that the second week of February would be “Negro History Week”; this week encompassed the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

In 1976, the President of the United States announced that Black History Week would turn into Black History Month by saying that Americans should “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

I challenge the community to turn Black History Month into Black History Year. We should not let a day go by without appreciating the accomplishments of black Americans in United States history. We should not let a day go by without appreciating the accomplishments of all minorities in United States history. This amazing country was not built solely by one major ethnic group, but by women, and people of all ethnicities, and we are doing ourselves a disservice if we do not recognize the hard work of all of our ancestors.

In the following video is a Spoken Word performance. Modern day spoken word was born out of the Civil Rights Movement and is a form of expression. I hope you enjoy!

Over the years, I have become very fascinated with various types of art. Music, street art, and spray paint are just a few of my interests. During my senior year in high school, I began experimenting with stencil art as a hobby. As time has passed, I have developed myself as a hobbyist and artist. What began as a razor blaze cutting through cardboard has turned into a pass-time that I use to express my interests and give gifts to friends and family. Below are a few images of pieces that I have made since I first began. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about the process at juan.gonzalez@uconn.edu!