Messa & Associates Celebrates Black History Month

By Joe Messa

Jan 31

Tomorrow is February 1st and it marks the beginning of Black History Month, an annual observance in the United States of the contributions of Black Americans to our shared American history.

The History of Black History Month

Black History Month was first proposed in 1969 by black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University. A year later, America’s first Black History Month was celebrated in February at Kent State.

By 1976, Black History Month was a nationally recognized observance, celebrated by educational institutions, centers of Black culture, and community centers, both great and small, in part thanks to President Gerald Ford who recognized the importance of such an observance during celebrations for the United States’ Bicentennial. While addressing Americans on the topic of Black History Month, he urged them to, “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Messa & Associates Seizes Opportunity to Honor Black Americans

Inspired by the words of President Gerald Ford, Messa & Associates will take an opportunity this year to honor the often neglected accomplishments of black Americans to America’s legal system. Every blog post in the month of February will recognize the contributions of a black law maker, lawyer, judge, or legal scholar that have helped shape our judicial system and/or the young minds who desire to be a part of it.

This series of blog posts will cover notable African Americans including;

  • Macon B. Allen – the first African American lawyer in the United States;
  • Thurgood Marshall – the first African American Supreme Court Justice in the United States;
  • Constance Baker Motley – the first African American female Federal Judge;
  • Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher – the first African American woman to attend an all-white law school in the South;
  • Barack Obama – the first African American President of the United States;

and many others.

So many of the individuals we will cover in this series faced incredible odds and were often denied admission to Universities and Law Schools because of the color of their skin. They did not let discrimination or prejudice prevent them from achieving great things for their country, instead persevering through racism and discriminatory laws in order to overturn those laws for future generations. Their work on landmark court decisions like Brown v. Board of Education have served to make the United States a better place and it’s incredibly important that those accomplishments be remembered.

New Jersey and Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers

The Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at Messa & Associates are experienced at handling personal injury cases involving serious injuries caused by accidents. Our extremely skilled team of personal injury lawyers and medical experts is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your personal injuries. If you have been injured in any accident, contact the personal injury lawyers of Messa & Associates for a free consultation. Call toll free at 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit a free online inquiry.

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About the Author

Joseph L. Messa, Jr. is the founding partner of Messa & Associates, P.C. He is an AV-rated attorney (highest rating available), listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. Read More