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 role black people played in American and world history. The following year, Woodson published and distributed his findings in The Journal of Negro History.
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.
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.
Black History Month Art Lessons
Black History Worksheet
Make every month “Black
History Month”
name________________________
section:
date:
Find some time when you can work
with your parents, friends, brothers or sisters to work on this homework
assignment. You will have to the end of the month of February to
complete it. Challenge yourself to come up with a new list of names for
next month and the next. Read the essay: “Where Would We Be Without
Black People?” See if you can find one Internet resource for each
inventor (or patent) listed in the story. Your
findings will be used to help students in following years learn more
about our African American history. For those of you feeling a bit
creative, add on to the story with more inventions/patents for which
Africans--or African Americans-- played a part.
For each of the categories
below, list at least one African American (or any person of African
decent). Include why this person was selected and why you admire this
person.
- Musician/Songwriter/Composer
(past or present):
Why?
- Inventor
or Scientist:
Why?
- Mathematician:
Why?
- Humanitarian:
Why?
- Sports
Hero:
Why?
- Historian:
Why?
- Statesman:
Why?
- Visual
Artist:
Why:
- Writer
or Poet:
Why?
- Working
class:
Why?
- Actor/Actress:
Why?
