Black-History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in black history celebrated annually in the United States and Canada. The origin of this celebration began in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson with Negro History Week, begun to honor the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, it was expanded to a month-long celebration by The Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. Many significant moments in black history happened during the month of February. The Fifteenth Amendment was passed granting African-Americans the right to vote, the first Black U.S. Senator took his oath of office, civil rights activist Malcolm X was assassinated, and the famous sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter by Greensboro, North Carolina, college students. These are not just historic moments of Black history but also of American history.

We want to celebrate Black History Month by mentioning some of the many prominent authors who have enhanced our world with their creativity and ideas. Alice Walker is an author and feminist that has emerged in the last two decades, both nationally and internationally, as one of the most versatile and controversial writers of African American literature. Many still continue to unravel the mystery of this novelist, poet, essayist, and short fiction writer. Walker's writings focus on the struggles of African- Americans, particularly women, that witness against societies that are racist, sexist, and violent. Her most famous novels include the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple, about an abused and uneducated black woman, The Temple of My Familiar and Possessing the Secret of Joy. Walker's has received numerous other awards and honors such the Lillian Smith Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rosenthal Award for the National Institute of Arts & Letters, a nomination for the National Book Award, a Radcliffe Institute Fellowship, a Merrill Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Front Page Award for Best Magazine Criticism from the Newswoman's Club of New York.

Maya Angelou is an American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement, Angelou is known for the autobiographical writings I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes. Her volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and in 1993, Angelou read her poem On the Pulse of Morning for the Presidential inauguration. It was only the second time in U.S. history that a poet had been asked to read at an inauguration, the first being Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. Angelou has been honored by numerous academic institutions throughout her career. She has also received a nomination for the Tony Awards, and in 1993 won the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for On the Pulse of Morning. Maya Angelou was the first black woman director in Hollywood. Angelou has written, produced, directed, and starred in productions for stage, film, and television. Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary black literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman.

Toni Morrison is one of the most prominent authors in world literature, having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 for her collected works. Several of her novels have taken their place in the canon of American literature, including The Bluest Eye, the Pulitzer Prize winning classic Beloved, and Song of Solomon. Morrison's writings are notable for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed African- American characters. In recent years, Morrison has published a number of children's books with her son, Slade Morrison. Morrison played an important role in bringing African-American literature into the mainstream.

Walter Mosley who is Black and Jewish, has written a series of best- selling historical mysteries featuring the hard-boiled detective Easy Rawlins, a black private investigator and World War II veteran living in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Mosley has written over 20 books in a variety of genres. Mosley is the winner of numerous awards, including the Anisfield Wolf Award, an honor given to works that increase the appreciation and understanding of race in America. He was a finalist for the NAACP Award in Fiction and won the 1996 Black Caucus of the American Library Association's Literary Award for RL's Dream. President Bill Clinton, a fan of murder mysteries, named Mosley as one of his favorite authors.

Dr. Martin Luther King was perhaps the most important man in the burgeoning Civil Rights movement of the 60s and is one of the most honored and beloved icons in American history. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a generation. The movements and marches he led brought significant changes in the fabric of American life through his courage and selfless devotion. This devotion gave direction to thirteen years of civil rights activities. His charismatic leadership still inspires men and women, young and old, in this nation and around the world.