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| Dr. Carter G. Woodson |
In 1915, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Rev. Jesse E. Moorland co-founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). Their goal was to research and bring awareness to the largely ignored, yet crucial role black people played in American and world history. The following year, Woodson published and distributed his findings in The Journal of Negro History. He founded the publication with the hope that it would dispel popular mistruths. He also hoped to educate black people about their cultural background and instill them with a sense of pride in their race.
The son
of former slaves and the second black person to receive a degree from Harvard
University, Carter Woodson understood the value of education. He also felt the
importance of preserving one's heritage and, upon his urgings, the fraternity
Omega Psi Phi created Negro History and Literature Week in 1920. In 1926,
Woodson changed the name to Negro History Week. He selected the month of
February for the celebration as a way to honor of the birth of two men whose
actions drastically altered the future of black Americans. Abraham Lincoln, the
U.S. President who issued the Emancipation Proclamation was born on February
12th and Frederick Douglass, one of the nation's leading abolitionists was born
on February 14th.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson died in 1950, but his
legacy continued on as the celebration of Negro History Week was adopted by
cities and organizations across the country. This observance proved especially
important during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, a time when
the inhumane and unequal treatment of black people in America was being
challenged and overturned.
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| Black Panther Badge |
The Black
Power Movement of the 1970s emphasized racial pride and the significance of
collective cultural values. This prompted the ASNLH, now called the Association
for the Study of African American Life and History, to change Negro History
Week to Black History Week. In 1976, they extended the week to a month-long
observance.
Black History Month is now recognized and widely celebrated by the entire nation on both a scholarly and commercial level. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History continues to promote, preserve and research black history and culture year-round.
Source: Biography.com
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