BLACK HISTORY MONTH CANCELLED? IMPOSSIBLE!
There has always been an assault on Black History and Black History Month, but it has become more insistent and insidious since approximately 2021.
Black History courses are being banned in States such as Florida, and this year in 2025, all mentions of Black History are being erased from the White House website, and Federal Agencies have stopped acknowledging Black History Month, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Juneteenth, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion of all kinds. More on these efforts, later.
So, while I am only one person, I stand with so many others who will not let Black History be erased. Black History is American History. Black History is World History. Black History is everyone’s history. Period. Full Stop.
Let’s begin with the actual history of Black History Month and its “founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
THE HISTORY OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Black History Month began as Negro History Week in the second week of February, 1926, to honor the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass. It was founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, African-American historian, author and journalist.
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| President Abraham Lincoln |
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| Frederick Douglass |
Carter was born in December, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia to parents, who were former enslaved people, and who were never afforded the luxury of a formal education. As a teenager, Carter helped his family to make ends meet by working as a sharecropper, a coal miner, and garbage truck driver. This meant that he was not able to attend school on a regular basis, but he was still hungry for education, so he educated himself – having mastered required school subjects – and at the age of 20, he was finally able to attend Douglass High School, in Fayette County, West Virginia. Carter was a very bright student and was able to earn his High School diploma in less than two years. He subsequently earned a Bachelor of Literature Degree from Berea College in Kentucky, after teaching in Fayette County for three years.
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| A Young Carter G. Woodson |
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| Students at Berea College |
A few years later, Carter was sent, by the U.S. War Department, to the Philippines to be a school supervisor, where he spent four years. He simultaneously took correspondence courses from the University of Chicago. Carter finished his Masters Degree in History, Romance Languages, and Literature from there, physically on campus in 1908 – but not before traveling throughout Africa, Asia and Europe, and studying for a short time at The Sorbonne, in Paris, France (now Paris University). In 1912, Carter earned his Doctorate in History at Ivy League School, Harvard University – becoming the second African-American (behind W.E.B. DuBois) to earn a Ph.D. at the prestigious institution. Ironically, Harvard has recently begun rolling back some of its diversity programs in hiring and student enrollment.
After earning his Doctorate degree, Dr. Woodson continued teaching in the public school system, later joining the faculty at Howard University, in Washington DC, as a professor – eventually being promoted to Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
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| University of Chicago |
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| La Sorbonne |
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| Harvard University |
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| Howard University in the Early Years |
By this time, after being barred from attending The American Historical Association conference, even though he was a member, who paid dues, Dr. Woodson had observed that African-American history was either ignored or misrepresented in most textbooks; so, he began extensive research.
As an alumnus of the University of Chicago, he had many friends in the city. In 1915, Carter traveled from Washington, D.C. to participate in a national celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation sponsored by the State of Illinois. Thousands of African-Americans traveled from across the country to see exhibits highlighting the progress their people had made since the destruction of slavery. Dr. Woodson joined the other exhibitors with a Black History display. Despite being held at the Coliseum, the site of the 1912 Republican convention, an overflow crowd of six to twelve thousand waited outside for their turn to view the exhibits.
Also, in 1915, Carter published his first book, The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861. That same year, in Chicago, he also co-founded The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), which later became The Association for the Study of African-American Life and History), along with colleague, Alexander L. Jackson, and three other associates.
The next year, Dr. Woodson launched the Journal of Negro History, a scholarly publication. To date, it has never missed an issue, despite The Great Depression, loss of support from foundations and two World Wars. In 2002, it was renamed the Journal of African-American History and continues to be published.
Dr. Woodson also formed the African-American-owned, Associated Publishers Press in 1921, which produced several of his own works, including The History of the Negro Church (1921), The Negro in Our History (1922) and The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933). After founding the ASNLH, Dr. Woodson also became very active in Black organizations, such as the NAACP, the National Urban League, and the Friends of Negro Freedom. Very passionate about ‘the cause,’ he made proposals to the NAACP to acquire new members and gain strength. The NAACP did not welcome his ideas and made that very clear. The leaders were concerned that White businessmen would be unhappy with the NAACP’s escalation. Dr. Woodson’s response was, “I am not afraid of being sued by White businessmen. In fact, I should welcome such a lawsuit. It would do the cause much good. Let us banish fear. We have been in this mental state for three centuries. I am a radical. I am ready to act, if I can find brave men to help me." At that time, there were no men ‘brave’ enough to help him. This disagreement actually led to Dr. Woodson ending his affiliation with the NAACP.
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| Association for the Study of Negro Life and History |
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| The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 |
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Journal of Negro History - 1917 |
Journal of African-American History - 2002
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| Journal of African-American History - 2010 |
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| History of the Negro Church |
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| Miseducation of the Negro |
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| The Negro in our History |
However, Dr. Woodson’s commitment to African-American history, and to improving the lives of African-Americans, had not waned. He decided to commit the rest of his life to his research – often working 18 hours a day and accumulating a collection of thousands of artifacts and publications. During the 1920s, Dr. Woodson received tens of thousands of dollars from several, White philanthropists to fund the ASNLH’s various efforts.
Also, as early as 1920, Dr. Woodson urged Black civic organizations to promote the achievements that researchers were uncovering. A graduate member of Omega Psi Phi, he urged his Divine 9 fraternity brothers to take up the work. In 1924, they responded with the creation of Negro History and Literature Week, which they renamed Negro Achievement Week. Their outreach was significant, but Woodson desired greater impact. As he told an audience of Hampton Institute students, “We are going back to that beautiful history, and it is going to inspire us to greater achievements.” In 1925, he decided that the Association had to shoulder the responsibility. Going forward it would both create and popularize knowledge about the Black past.
In 1926, Dr. Woodson wanted to formalize his commitment, so he lobbied schools and organizations to participate in a special program to encourage the study of African-American history. He sent out a press release announcing Negro History Week in February 1926.
By the early 1930s, Dr. Woodson relied upon Black communities throughout the country to maintain his organization’s activities; but he had many detractors – White and Black – who did not believe that African-American history should be separately recognized or celebrated. Dr. Woodson was not to be deterred. In 1937, he created The Negro History Bulletin to be used as a study guide for Negro History Week (and beyond) and throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Dr. Woodson spoke at countless elementary and high schools, Negro History Week events, and at the graduation ceremonies for many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
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| The Negro History Bulletin |
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| 19th Negro History Week |
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| Negro History Week Bulletin w/ Statement from President Harry Truman |
In the decades which followed, mayors of cities across the country began issuing annual proclamations recognizing Negro History Week. By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the Civil Rights Movement and a growing awareness of Black identity on campuses such as Kent State University, Negro History Week had evolved into Black History Month across the country. The first observance of Black History Month took place on Kent State’s campus, in 1970. Six years later, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month, in 1976, calling upon the public to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."
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| President Gerald Ford's Declaration of Negro History Week Expanding to Black History Month - 1986 |
Since then, every American President has designated February as Black History Month (which is now often called African-American History Month) and endorsed a specific theme. 2025 has already proven to be much more complicated and confusing. More on that later.
HERE ARE A FEW PRESIDENTIAL EXAMPLES:
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| President Ronald Reagan's 1986 Black History Month Proclamation |
In February 1986, President Reagan issued Proclamation 5443—National Black (Afro-American) History Month, 1986
In February 1996, President Clinton issued Proclamation 6863 — National African American History Month
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| President George W. Bush's 2003 African-American History Month Proclamation |
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| President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama Host a Black History Month Celebration at The White House |
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| President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris Host a Black History Month Celebration at The White House |
BLACK HISTORY OVERLOOKED OR ERASED
Many people will tell you that they had never heard of, for instance:
- The Tulsa Race Massacre;
- or that approximately 100,000 enslaved people escaped to the North via the Underground Railroad, between 1810 and 1850;
- or that Matthew Henson, an African-American explorer born to free sharecroppers, was the first person to actually set his footprints on the North Pole;
- or that Beverly Lorraine Green was thought to be the first, female architect in the United States;
- or that in July 1777, Vermont became the first colony to ban slavery;
- or that the U.S. Capitol and the current White House were built by enslaved people – to name just a few – because they were never taught it in schools.
However, there are many African-Americans, who made major contributions in history, but were completely erased, so that, quite frankly, all credit would go to their White counterparts. Here are just a few:
Mary Pickersgill is often credited with sewing the Star-Spangled Banner (flag) which flew over Fort McHenry in Maryland and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the United States national anthem. Almost invisible, by design, was that Grace Wisher, a 13-year-old African-American girl, who was an indentured servant to Mary, significantly helped make the flag. The Star Spangled Banner House Museum has now dedicated space to honor Grace’s memory and contributions, but how sad that she can only be depicted by an "outline."
LEWIS LATIMER
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| Lewis Latimer's Drawings of Incandescent Lighting |
Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison were very well-known for their inventions of the telephone and the lightbulb, respectively. However, an almost ignored inventor took a key role in helping them both make their inventions a reality. Lewis's drawings were crucial for the patent of the telephone, and he helped to develop a more efficient transmitter that improved the quality of the sound. Lewis also invented modern carbon filaments which made the lightbulb more affordable and last longer.
UNCLE NEAREST
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| Uncle Nearest Bottles and Founder, Fawn Weaver |
When people think of whiskey, they think of Jack Daniels as its inventor. However, the person perhaps most responsible for its success— an enslaved man named Nathan “Nearest” Green or “Uncle Nearest,” who taught Jack Daniels the art of whiskey-making. This fact went unacknowledged for more than 150 years. Today, there is a billion-dollar Uncle Nearest Whiskey brand, founded by Ms. Fawn Weaver, and is definitely no longer ignored.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH TODAY
Since the first Negro History Week in 1926, other countries have joined the United States in celebrating Black people and their contribution to history and culture, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and The Netherlands – sometimes in other months than February (e.g. in the UK, it is celebrated in October).
COMPLAINTS
- it shouldn’t be in the “shortest month of the year”
- “it’s ridiculous that it is relegated to only one month”
- “it’s demeaning to Black people (other Black people have said this).
- “there shouldn’t even be a Black History Month. There should be a White History Month.”
- “it spends too much time damning whiteness, rather than affirming blackness”
BANNING BLACK HISTORY
By 2024, “anti-wokeness” had run rampant, and it suddenly began to not only be a problem to celebrate Black History Month, but also to teach it in schools.
The current White House Administration has waged a “war on DEI.” Directives have been sent to Federal agencies to not celebrate Black History Month, as well as others, such as: Women’s History Month, Disability Awareness Month, Pride Month, and Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Department of Defense issued guidance, this week, entitled “Identity Months Dead at DOD."
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| 2022 Black History Month Proclamation No Longer Available on The White House Website |
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| 2021 Black History Month Proclamation No Longer Available on The White House Website |
Additionally, all other references to Black History Proclamations and Black History, in general, have been removed from the White House official website (in addition to hundreds of other pages that traditionally served diverse communities – they’re just gone).
Paradoxically, the current occupant of the Oval Office has just issued a Proclamation recognizing 2025 National Black History Month. Make it make sense!
RESIST!
But there are many who are fighting back against the bans and the erasures:
- Because of major pressure from citizens and politicians, following the removal of an Air Force course about the Tuskegee Airmen, last week, the White House and Air Force reversed their decision within a few days, and the course will now be taught.
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| Tuskegee Airmen |
- Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, declared a “war on woke," which included banning Black History being taught, but simultaneously teaching that there were benefits to slavery
- A Florida teacher, Dr. Marvin Dunn, has decided to take matters into his own hands and teach Black History to students and teachers CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. DUNN'S EFFORTS
- Cierra Hinton and Dr. Leah Barlow have launched HillmanTok University on TikTok to teach Black History and many other courses. CLICK TO HERE TO LEARN MORE
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| OH, HAPPY DANI! |
- There are several Instagram accounts that are dedicated to current and past Black History. A notable one is Oh, Happy Dani!, whose founder recently decided to pull her products from Target, after it announced that it would roll back its DEI efforts. Good for her! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HER PRODUCTS
GETTING IT WRONG
Sometimes, those who celebrate Black History and Black History Month make a colossal mess of it. Case in point:
- AN INDIANAPOLIS CHILDREN’S MUSEUM FORCED TO APOLOGIZE FOR SERVING WATERMELON SALAD FOR JUNETEENTH. CLICK HERE TO WATCH
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| Massachusetts Students' Black History Month Blackface Masks |
- MASSACHUSETTS TEACHER FIRED FOR ASKING STUDENTS TO MAKE BLACK HISTORY MONTH LESSON BLACKFACE MASKS. CLICK HERE TO WATCH
- TENNESSEE SCHOOL FORCED TO APOLOGIZE FOR "ALL LIVES MATTER" BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
WHAT NOW? WHAT NEXT?
Dr. Carter G. Woodson worked tirelessly until his sudden death at the age of 74, in 1950. He is buried in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Maryland. To this day, there are people who think that celebrating Black History is not necessary. Thankfully, there are many more – including myself – who think that it’s crucial – especially, now that there are institutional efforts to eradicate it. WE WILL NOT BE ERASED, NOR WILL WE CELEBRATE AND HONOR, IN SECRET.
The Father of Black History left a timeless legacy, from which we have learned – and will continue to learn – amazing facts and stories about how Black people around the world have helped, and continue to help, shape all history. I cannot imagine where we would be, today, without him and his passion. A heartfelt thank you, to him! CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT DR. WOODSON
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a book entitled Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community? It is stunning that we need to ask ourselves this same question, yet again, at this current crossroad. I choose COMMUNITY. It is the only way to resist and prevail. I hope that you choose the same.
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Sources: Biography Channel, History Channel, About.com, CNN, Google Images, Getty Images, Instagram, Wikipedia
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