1.5: Futurity

Negro History Week

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Founding members of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) in front of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) headquarters (Public Domain; National Parks Gallery via picryl.com)

One of the most important developments within the early evolution of Black Studies was the creation of “Negro History Week” in 1926. Carter G. Woodson, through his leadership in the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, created the week to amplify Black historical struggle, achievement, and success. This week of observation was intended to galvanize Black communities to reflect on their histories critically and provide an opportunity to distribute books, literature, and articles pertinent to the Black historical experience. Negro History Week was a public service that Woodson intended to become a national project that would find a presence in public schools, colleges/universities, civic organizations, and governmental institutions. Black churches and newspapers served as distribution centers for materials and hubs for announcing events and programs devoted to celebrating the week's festivities. Woodson chose the second week because it corresponded with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas on February 12th and 14th, respectively. Lincoln was revered in the African American community for signing the Emancipation Proclamation, and Douglass was the most notable Black abolitionist and leader of his day. Negro History Week would later become Black History Month after militant Black students at Kent State University culminated a year-long fight to make it a month-long celebration on February 28, 1970. Black History Month gained mainstream national recognition in 1976 when President Gerald Ford urged US citizens across race and ethnicity to celebrate the historical achievements of African Americans in the United States.

Carter G. Woodson was primarily an organizer and an institution builder. He used his talents to support Black teachers and activists--intellectuals needing resources and outlets to enhance their scholarship and work in the classroom. During a short stint on the faculty in the history department at Howard University between 1919 and 1920, Woodson built on the initiatives of historian Charles Wesley and began offering courses in “Negro History.” Woodson’s efforts were part of a growing trend at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Black students began demanding courses grounded in and concerned with African-descended people's worldwide social, cultural, and historical experiences. Black students at HBCUs were also growing impatient with the racism and paternalism of white administrators at these colleges and universities. In 1924, W. E. B. DuBois assisted student activists at Fisk University (his alma mater) in their protest efforts that led to the “resignation of President Fayette McKenzie.”^[1]

Despite the devastating economic circumstances of the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History continued to grow, developing its chapters in US cities across the country with a sizeable Black presence. Although Woodson remained at the top of the organization’s leadership, the ASNLH saw its membership and impact grow as a result of the efforts of Black women. Black women were astute organizers in social clubs and had a strong community presence as teachers, librarians, and social reformers. Although Black women professionals and elites made their presence known within the ASNLH, Jim Crow segregation and white supremacy ensured that Black working people at the grassroots had a presence as well. Indeed, Negro History Week became a mainstay through the efforts of Black women and their tireless commitment to organizing and nurturing community institutions, libraries, and public schools.

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Endnotes

^[1] Ibid 95