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| Carter G. Woodson Korey Bowers Brown |
During the dawning decades of the twentieth century, it was commonly
presumed that black people had little history besides the subjugation of
slavery. Today, it is clear that blacks have significantly impacted the
development of the social, political, and economic structures of the
United States and the world. Credit for the evolving awareness of the
true place of blacks in history can, in large part, be bestowed on one
man, Carter G. Woodson. And, his brainchild the Association for the
Study of African American Life and History, Inc. is continuing Woodson’
s tradition of disseminating information about black life, history and
culture to the global community.
Known as the “Father of Black History,” Woodson (1875-1950) was the
son of former slaves, and understood how important gaining a proper
education is when striving to secure and make the most out of one’s
divine right of freedom. Although he did not begin his formal education
until he was 20 years old, his dedication to study enabled him to earn a
high school diploma in West Virginia and bachelor and master’s
degrees from the University of Chicago in just a few years. In 1912,
Woodson became the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from
Harvard University (the first was W. E. B. DuBois). Applying the
insights he gained during his academic matriculation, Dr. Woodson
began teaching black students in the District of Columbia’s public
schools and at Howard University.
Recognizing the dearth of information on the accomplishments of
blacks in 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of
Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of
African American Life and History (ASALH). Under Woodson’s
pioneering leadership, the Association created research and
publication outlets for black scholars with the establishment of the
Journal of Negro History (1916) and the Negro History Bulletin (1937),
which garners a popular public appeal.
In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week,
which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and
Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include
the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners
support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social
backgrounds discuss the black experience. ASALH views the
promotion of Black History Month as one of the most important
components of advancing Dr. Woodson’s legacy.
presumed that black people had little history besides the subjugation of
slavery. Today, it is clear that blacks have significantly impacted the
development of the social, political, and economic structures of the
United States and the world. Credit for the evolving awareness of the
true place of blacks in history can, in large part, be bestowed on one
man, Carter G. Woodson. And, his brainchild the Association for the
Study of African American Life and History, Inc. is continuing Woodson’
s tradition of disseminating information about black life, history and
culture to the global community.
Known as the “Father of Black History,” Woodson (1875-1950) was the
son of former slaves, and understood how important gaining a proper
education is when striving to secure and make the most out of one’s
divine right of freedom. Although he did not begin his formal education
until he was 20 years old, his dedication to study enabled him to earn a
high school diploma in West Virginia and bachelor and master’s
degrees from the University of Chicago in just a few years. In 1912,
Woodson became the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from
Harvard University (the first was W. E. B. DuBois). Applying the
insights he gained during his academic matriculation, Dr. Woodson
began teaching black students in the District of Columbia’s public
schools and at Howard University.
Recognizing the dearth of information on the accomplishments of
blacks in 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of
Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of
African American Life and History (ASALH). Under Woodson’s
pioneering leadership, the Association created research and
publication outlets for black scholars with the establishment of the
Journal of Negro History (1916) and the Negro History Bulletin (1937),
which garners a popular public appeal.
In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week,
which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and
Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include
the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners
support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social
backgrounds discuss the black experience. ASALH views the
promotion of Black History Month as one of the most important
components of advancing Dr. Woodson’s legacy.
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Founders of Black History Month