HONOLULU (KHON2) — The United States finally decided to begin its journey in recognizing the considerable contributions blacks have made to our history upon the urging on a forward driven leader of the NAACP.
Black History Month was finally established in 1976 by Carter G. Woodson who was a scholar dedicated to celebrating the historic contributions of Black people.
His work was done in a time that lingered after the tumultuous Civil Rights Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. A time that mourned the murder of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X who were regaled for their ability to bring people together with a common goal: elevate all people to status of full citizen with full rights.
In Hawaiʻi, the history of blacks goes back to before the reign of Kamehameha I. Let’s take a look at some of the black residents who contributed to the early years during the beginning of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi post-Kamehameha I’s pursuit of uniting the islands.
Mr. Keaka’ele’ele, also known as “Black Jack”, is known to have lived in Waikīkī on Oʻahu well before Kamehameha I conquered the island in 1795. Mr. Keaka’ele’ele was responsible for helping to build a storehouse for Queen Ka’ahumanu in Lahaina and was a sail master, adviser and interpreter for King Kamehameha II.