Black History Month and the Man Who Created It

Black History Month is here and it’s during this month that we recognize the efforts of all African Americans. But how did this month come about? Who created it and how? At CCBC, we’re taking a look back at the man who revolutionized the way Black history is acknowledged, respected, and above all, celebrated.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, an educator, is credited as the man who dedicated his life to ensuring that Black history has its deserved place in our classrooms, textbooks, and calendars. Born to former slaves, survival took priority over education, and the young Woodson often contributed to his family’s income by working on the family farm and taking on other manual labor jobs. Despite having no formal education,  Woodson was determined to educate himself by any means necessary. 

Through hard work and determination, he managed to enter high school at the age of 20 and compensated for lost time by graduating two years later. Woodson went on to become an educator, traveling the world and earning a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. He later went on to study at Harvard University and graduate with a doctorate — becoming the second African American to do so. 

During his years as an educator, Woodson started noticing a stark contrast between what was being taught in American history and the actual truth — especially when it came to the plight of African Americans and their long history in the United States. He also realized that a separate way of preserving and teaching Black History had to be created, because the systemic racism that was inherent to public education systems largely focused on the contributions of white individuals to history. 

In September 1915, Woodson created the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History — now known as the Association for the Study of American Life and History (ASALH). Today, the organization promotes, researches, preserves, interprets, and disseminates information about Black life, history, and culture to the global community. In 1916, however, the organization’s mission was to represent a living testimony to African American history through scholarship and research. In support of that, the Association created previously unheard of research and publication avenues for Black scholars through the Journal of Negro History (now the Journal of Black History), followed by the Negro History Bulletin (now the Black History Bulletin in 1937.

Now, no longer would the efforts of Black people, nor their achievements in society, be overlooked or ignored. Instead, they would be celebrated. Ten years after creating ASALH, Woodson declared the week encompassing Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays to be designated as a week celebrating Black culture and achievements — chosen specifically because these were two prominent men associated with freedom in America. With the rise of the civil rights movement, the initial week-long celebration eventually expanded to a month in 1976, and it’s continued to this day ever since. 

For this year’s 53rd anniversary of Black History Month, we encourage all CCBC students to recognize Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s efforts in celebrating Black achievements, accomplishments, and contributions that have become part of our daily lives. If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Woodson and Black History Month, some references are listed below.

Sources:
https://www.history.com/news/the-man-behind-black-history-month
https://www.nps.gov/cawo/learn/carter-g-woodson-biography.htm