The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Profiles in Success: black SIUC alumni honored during Black History Month

Saturday marked the first day of the month-long celebration of Black History Month. February was chosen for Black History Month because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly impacted the American black population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Other important events that occurred in February help mark the historic month. The birthday of W. E. B. DuBois, a civil rights leader and co-founder of the NAACP; the 15th Amendment was passed granting blacks the right to vote; the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded by a group of concerned black and white citizens in New York City; and Malcolm X, the militant leader who promoted Black Nationalism, was shot to death by three Black Muslims.

Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926 because of the dedication of Dr. Carter G. Woodson. He enrolled in high school at age 20, graduated within two years and later went on to earn a doctorate degree from Harvard. The scholar was disturbed to find in his studies that history books largely ignored the black population.

Woodson decided to take on the challenge of writing blacks into the nation's history. He established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History in 1915, and a year later founded the widely respected Journal of Negro History. In 1926, he launched Negro History Week as an initiative to bring national attention to the contributions of black people throughout American history. The event was eventually renamed Black History Month and changed to a month-long celebration.

In honor of Black History Month, the Daily Egyptian, along with the help of the SIU Alumni Association, will recognize outstanding black alumni of SIUC throughout the month of February.