Follis author at Feb. 23 Black History Month event at WHS
A Black History Month event honoring Charles Follis with award-winning author Ralph N. Paulk will take place Sunday, Feb. 23 from 5-8 p.m. at the Wooster High School Performing Arts Center, 515 Oldman Road. The evening will include food, a Q-and-A and possibly some musical guests.
Paulk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of “Follis: Greatness Transcends.” He is a United States Marine Corps veteran and lifetime member of the NAACP and the National Association of Black Journalists. The event is sponsored by the Wooster Youth NAACP and the Wooster/Orrville NAACP. It is the first community event for the youth group.
The Wooster High School football stadium is named after Follis, an alumnus who organized and played on the school’s first varsity football team. He later became the first professional African American football player.
“(Follis) left an indelible mark on history,” said Brooklyn Chelakadan, president of the NAACP youth group. “Without his courage to be the first African American professional football player, many others would not have had the courage to take the first step. It also shows that there was a significant black figure that lived in our area. That is incredibly inspiring to us as students and should make us aspire to be more inclusive and learn about significant black figures.”
Those attending are asked to fill out the form if possible to help the sponsors with a head count for food. Visit forms.gle/6YRimNGk5S6WUV3g8.
Cheryl A. Goff, second vice president of the Wooster/Orrville NAACP, said in 1926 Carter G. Woodson initiated Negro History Week.
“He selected February to celebrate Black History Month because it coincides with the birth dates of social activist Frederick Douglass and former President Abraham Lincoln,” Goff said.
For the past 49 years, the United States of America has recognized February as Black History Month. Republican President Gerald Ford officially recognized Feb. 1 as the first day of Black History Month in 1976. Ford said to the public, “Seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Congress officially designated February as Black History Month in 1986.
Although current President Donald Trump signed the executive order recognizing Black History Month, as every president has done since 1976, the Department of Defense issued a memo on Jan. 31 announcing official resources will no longer be used to mark observances of identity months including Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.
“Public officials in several states have banned the teaching of black history and African American studies,” Goff said. “They often make the mistake of labeling it Critical Race Theory or wokeism, (but) black history is American history. When we all realize and celebrate one another and respect one another, we will be better off as a city, a state and as a society.”
The goal of the Wooster/Orrville NAACP, as stated on its website, is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. The website says, “We are dedicated to providing resources and support to the community in order to create a more just and equitable society for all. Our team is comprised of dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to promote civil rights and social justice.”
For more information and to join, visit www.wooster-orrvillenaacp.org.