The purpose was to celebrate the positive contributions of Americans of African descent. In 1976, as part of the nation's bicentenial, the week was expanded into Black History Month.  

On January 1, 1916, Woodson started—alone—the Journal of Negro History, which is still published today. The Smithsonian held an exibition in 1992 entitled "Moving Back Barriers: The Legacy of Carter G. Woodson."  

We would all do well to read up on some of our Black History.

A city employee admitted to me he did not understand my persistant reference to "the invisible man" or "today we (people with disabilities-PWD) are the invisible people."

As we PWD's struggle to gain our own civil rights, we should remember the struggle that came before ours. Coming right after January 15th, Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, February should be a time to reflect on this legacy.  

It seems to me that Dr. King was a great visionary. He experienced the most offensive discrimination in his life time, and although he did not live to see the positive changes we take for granted today, I am sure he believed in basic human goodness. He believed we would overcome all the ugliness, the denial, all the separateness, all the stereotyping, all the uncomfortableness.  

When I grew up in the 1940s and 1950s most folks I knew "talked a good game." Everyone is equal, don't discriminate, was the message delivered. Our revolutionary leaders, like Jefferson, and presidential "fathers" like Lincoln, were held up to us as example.

Then, after "higher" education in the 60s, when we were confronted with the actuality of how our "honoured" leaders really behaved, and were confronted with how our "darker" classmates continued to suffer from discrimination, we were forced to take a stand.  

Silence, back in the day, was considered supporting the status quo of discrimination against people of colour.  

I had several roommates, and often went to the soda fountain on Longwood Avenue in Boston. But when I went with the one who was "coloured," we were ignored. It was as though we were not even there. No one said anything, and if we called out to the waitress for service it was as though we had no voice. My roommate would tug at my sleeve, and beg me to leave. She would hang her head, and plead with me "not to do this." So, always, I would accede to her sensibilities.  

Martin Luther King became the voice that could no longer be ignored.  

Now, today, we see much progress, but there remains much that needs to be done. When my son (Chinese surname with caucasian features) flies on a plane, he is always "randomly" pulled aside for a complete body search. Folks on the T in Brookline casually inform me that the T has gone to the new Charlie Card, because there are fare cheaters in "Dorchester."  

Worse, from my point of view, even those who identify themselves with the Civil Rights "Movement" today actively ignore the voices of another group who historically has experienced the most grievous discrimination.

These Civil Rights activists even deny the fact that People With Disabilities even have Civil Rights. They "believe," mistakenly, that the Civil Rights Act of 1990, public law 101-336, otherwise known as the ADA, is really a "health care-housing" bill, and has nothing to do with protecting People With Disabilities from discrimination.  

How can one explain to those "troops" from the Civil Rights Movement that we too have Civil Rights, and that we too need our voices to be heard, and not ignored?  

Today, we have a challenge before us, to end the invisibility imposed upon us, and by speaking out, so our voices can join those other voices that eventually were heard before us. It is possible, it will happen, but we all need to lend a hand.  

It would be so helpful, however, if we had out own Martin Luther King to lead our marches, to give voice to our dream.