A century of Black history commemorations

This year marks a century of national commemorations of Black history. Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, George Cleveland Hall, William B. Hartgrove, Jesse E. Moorland, Alexander L. Jackson and James E. Stamps institutionalized the teaching, study, dissemination and commemoration of Black history when they founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) on Sept. 9, 1915.

In 1925, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson planned the inaugural week-long observance of Black history, he could hardly have anticipated the imprint he would leave on the world. As ASNLH transformed into the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and the awareness celebrations expanded from Negro History Week to Black History Month, ASALH has carried forth the tradition, and the observances have become part of American culture and, increasingly, the global community. For the 100th theme, the founders of Black History Month urge us to explore the impact and meaning of Black history.  

People of African descent in the United States have viewed their role in history as critical to their own development and that of the world. Along with writing Black histories, antebellum Black scholars north of slavery started observing the milestones in the struggle of people of African descent to gain their freedom and equality. They observed American emancipation with Watch Night, Jubilee Day and Juneteenth celebrations. Eventually they feted the lives of individuals who fought against slavery, most notably Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

When Carter G. Woodson, as director of the Association, established Negro History Week, he did so as part of that tradition. Yet, by concentrating the attention of the American public on the scientific findings of historians, he sought to turn the commemorations into a far-reaching, organized and sustained effort to transform how Black folks viewed themselves and how the world viewed them. Year after year, he built Negro History Week into an African American and American cultural institution.

On Feb. 10, 1976, during the United States Bicentennial, President Gerald R. Ford became the first president to issue a message recognizing Black History Month. Then in 1986, Congress passed Public Law 99-244 designating February as Black History Month. These efforts have made February the month when Black history finds its way not simply into the schools of the American nation, but also into cultural heritage sites (museums, archives, libraries, parks, etc.), public squares, workplaces, houses of worship and homes across the land and across the oceans. These institutions offer sites to discover and learn more about African American history through programming, camps, book displays and exhibitions.

This year, when we are also commemorating the 250th anniversary of United States independence, it is important to tell not only an inclusive history, but an accurate one. We have never had more need to examine the role of Black History Month than we do today. Black history’s value is not its contribution to mainstream historical narratives, but its importance in the lives of Black people.

Locally, the Black History Museum of Warren County along with Young Men United have planned a multifaceted event for Feb. 21 to mark this milestone. The program will begin at noon at the Bernard Gym. Lunch will be served.

If you have questions, please contact James “Mickey” Gwyn at (301) 752-0316 or  mickeygwyn@comcast.net  or Ella Richmond at (931) 314-3881 or ellar7956@gmail.com.

Portions of this article used by permission of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History