R 291621 JAN 20
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-00H//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS //N05350//
ALCOAST 029/20
COMDTNOTE 5350
SUBJ: NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
1. National African American History Month is an annual period set aside to
celebrate the contributions that African Americans have made to our Nation's
history and culture including their struggle for freedom and equality. The theme
for 2020, authored by the Association for the Study of African American Life and
History, is "African Americans and the Vote." This theme speaks to the
disenfranchisement experienced by black men and women as they pushed for
equality at the polls.
2. The Fifteenth Amendment granting African American men the right to vote was
adopted into the U.S. Constitution in 1870. Despite the amendment, discriminatory
practices prevented black men from exercising their right to vote, especially in
the South. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed into law by President Lyndon B.
Johnson, aimed to increase the number of people registered to vote in areas where
there was a record of discrimination. The Voting Rights Act removed barriers to
black enfranchisement, such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures that
effectively prevented African Americans from voting.
3. The significant contributions of black suffragists occurred not only within the
larger women's movement, but within the larger black voting rights movement.
Through voting rights campaigns and legal suits, from the turn of the Twentieth
Century to the mid-1960s, African Americans made their voices heard as to the
importance of the vote.
4. This year's theme also reflects on the increase of black elected and appointed
officials at the local, state, and federal levels. The accomplishments of these
African Americans has had lasting impacts on social, economic, and cultural
development, in the U.S. and worldwide, contributing to the advancement of
American ideals and reinforcing the commitment of equal opportunity for all.
5. Coast Guard units and commands are encouraged to take time during this month
to honor and recognize the numerous accomplishments and contributions that
African Americans have made and continue to make to our Service, our communities,
and our Nation.
6. Dr. Terri A. Dickerson, Director, Civil Rights Directorate, sends.
7. Internet release is authorized.