Dec. 7 was National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It annually commemorates the day in 1941 that a surprise attack was made on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by the Japanese.
The U.S. declared war on Japan the next day and entered World War II, which had already begun in Europe in 1939. President Franklin Roosevelt referred to Dec. 8 as “a date which will live in infamy.”
World War II ended in 1945.
I remember being picked up as a toddler and held by my brother-in-law when he and several other Black soldiers came to my mom’s to tell her goodbye as they left for camp. I still remember the texture of my brother-in-law’s uniform as I snuggled in his arms.
In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the U.S. Congress Joint Resolution that declared the National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. It is not a federal holiday but flags should be flown at half-staff until sunset on that day.
December is Universal Human Rights Month, and Dec. 10 is Human Rights Day. Human Rights Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The theme for 2022 is: “Dignity, Freedom and Justice For All,” a theme that should resonate every day of every year.
The following are other titles for the month of December: Bingo Month, National Cat Lovers’ Month, Write A Friend Month, World AIDS/HIV Awareness Month. Titles for special days in December are National Joy Day on Dec. 7, National Brownie Day on Dec. 8 and National Violin Day on Dec. 13.
The week of Dec.18-26 is the Jewish Holiday Hanukkah.
The month of December offers a lot to ponder.
My next column will cover more significant events in December.