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| The History of Black History Month |
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The story of Black History Month begins a
decade after the founding of the association.
When he conceived of the Association for the
Study of Negro Life and History in 1915, Carter
G. Woodson believed that publishing scientific
history about the black race would produce
facts that would prove to the world that Africa
and its people had played a crucial role in the
development of civilization. As a
Harvard-trained historian, Woodson, like W. E.
B. Du Bois before him, believed that the truth
could not be denied and that reason would
prevail over prejudice. He thus
decade after the founding of the association.
When he conceived of the Association for the
Study of Negro Life and History in 1915, Carter
G. Woodson believed that publishing scientific
history about the black race would produce
facts that would prove to the world that Africa
and its people had played a crucial role in the
development of civilization. As a
Harvard-trained historian, Woodson, like W. E.
B. Du Bois before him, believed that the truth
could not be denied and that reason would
prevail over prejudice. He thus
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established a scholarly journal, The Journal of Negro History, a year after
he formed the Association. Scientific history, he believed, would counter
racial falsehoods, and the community of white scholars would alter its
view of the black race. Eventually the truth would trickle down to the
public, and the race problem would gradually disappear.
A decade into his labors, Woodson began to think differently about the
inherent power of scholarship, the importance of the scholarly community
in promoting the truth, and the place of the community in the Association's
mission. Scholarship had not transformed race relations, and most white
historians had not come to recognize the truth when it was placed before
them.
As early as 1920, Woodson had urged black civic organizations to
promote the acheivements that researchers were uncovering. That year
he prodded his fraternity brothers at Omega Psi Phi to take up the work.
he formed the Association. Scientific history, he believed, would counter
racial falsehoods, and the community of white scholars would alter its
view of the black race. Eventually the truth would trickle down to the
public, and the race problem would gradually disappear.
A decade into his labors, Woodson began to think differently about the
inherent power of scholarship, the importance of the scholarly community
in promoting the truth, and the place of the community in the Association's
mission. Scholarship had not transformed race relations, and most white
historians had not come to recognize the truth when it was placed before
them.
As early as 1920, Woodson had urged black civic organizations to
promote the acheivements that researchers were uncovering. That year
he prodded his fraternity brothers at Omega Psi Phi to take up the work.
In 1924 they responded with the creation of Negro History and Literature Week, which they
renamed Negro Achievement Week. By 1925, Woodson decided that the Association had to
expand its program. Henceforth it would be an organization dedicated to discovering and
popularizing the truth. The Association had to re~educate blacks as well as whites, and its
doors had to be opened to all interested in history, not just historians and other scholars.
When the Association announced Negro History Week for 1926, Woodson was overwhelmed
by the response. Black history clubs sprang up, teachers demanded materials to instruct their
pupils, and progressive whites, not simply white scholars and philanthropists, stepped forward
to endorse the effort. Woodson and the Association scrambled to meet the demands of public
history. For teachers, the Association published photographs and portraits of important black
people. It published plays to dramatize black history. To serve the desire of history buffs to
participate in the re~education of black folks, ASNLH formed branches to bring them into the
organization.
Woodson selected the week of February that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham
Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two giants in the history of African Americans. Lincoln, of
course, had issued the Emancipation Proclamation that moved the nation away from slavery,
and Frederick Douglass had been the greatest leader of African Americans. Symbolically, the
selection of Lincoln's and Douglass' birthdays as the week to study Black history reflected
Woodson's belief that the history of African Americans was American history.
When Woodson passed in 1950, the Association continued the celebration of Negro History
Week. By the time of his death, Negro History Week had become a central part of African
American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to
appreciate the celebration. At mid~century, in cities across the country, mayors issued
proclamations noting Negro History Week.
The Black Awakening of the 1960s dramatically expanded the consciousness of African
Americans about the importance of black history. The Freedom Schools established during
the civil rights era all included the study of Black history. As African Americans entered into
mainstream colleges, they demanded Black Studies and Black history became a central
feature. Increasingly there were cries for more than a week to study Black history.
The Association, the center of the study of Black life and history, underwent its own changes,
including a recognition of the need to devote more time to Black History. In 1976, fifty years
after the first celebration, the Association held the first Black History Month. By this time, the
entire nation had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the
American story. Since then all American presidents, Republicans and Democrats alike, have
issued Black History Month proclamations.
In keeping with tradition, the Association, now known as the Association for the Study of
African American Life and History, believes that Black history, like American history, should be
studied 365 days a year. Yet as the Founders of Black History Month, ASALH continues to
view February as the critical month for carrying forth the mission.
Daryl Michael Scott
Howard University
(C) 2007
This copy may be republished electronically with the following acknowledgement and link: By Daryl Michael
Scott for ASALH at www.asalh.org.
| The ASALH Website and The ASALH Store are projects of the ASALH Publication Committee, Daryl Michael Scott, Chair. Direct comments to phughes@asalh.net (C) ASALH, January 3, 2008 |
Founders of Black History Month