FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH.

February is Black History Month. Carter G. Woodson began Negro History Week in 1926; it was later expanded to a month. In 1976 it was changed to Black History Month. It is held every February and celebrates the achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout our history. The 2014 theme is the civil rights movement that commemorates the 50^th year anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.  (Taken from Southeast Denton <TX> News)

 “The years, the months, the days, and the hours have flown by my open window. Here and there an incident, a towering moment, a naked memory, an etched countenance, a whisper in the dark, a golden glow—these and much more are the woven fabric of the time I have lived.”  (Howard Thurman, influential African American author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader)

If you have on hand copies of the "Charter for Racial Justice," it would be singularly appropriate to distribute them this month. If you don't yet have copies, you can order them from UMW Mission Resource Center and they are free. This distribution would satisfy a requirement for your unit to be a 5-star unit as well as a member of the Charter Club. You may also copy this post and revise it for distribution.

Notes on the back of the Charter brochure spell out the significance of racial justice:

* Racial Justice is a biblical issue.

* Racial Justice is a leadership issue.

* Racial Justice is a community issue.

* Racial Justice is a public-policy issue.

There is also a free brochure entitled "Racial Justice Time Line" that notes important moments of racial justice history in the U.S. and United Methodist Women. 

It is unfortunate that racism is still an issue in our country, but there's no denying its presence. United Methodist Women stands staunchly opposed to any display of injustice--race, gender, ethnicity. Always we are counted among those who earnestly try to love our neighbors as ourselves.