The first recognition of the contributions of black people in American history came in 1926 when Dr. Carter G. Woodson, son of former slaves, organized Negro History Week. He chose the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, two men who had a profound impact on the black population.While earning his doctorate at Harvard University, Woodson was distressed to find little mention in his textbooks highlighting black Americans and their vast contributions to American society. Woodson was determined to bring black history into mainstream historical documents. He eventually established the Association for the Study of Negro Life (renamed the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History) in 1915, and a year later, founded the Journal of Negro History.Woodson’s determination brought national attention to the contributions of black Americans through inclusion in history books, school texts, newspapers and other media of the times and, in his own words, “made the world see the Negro as a participant rather than a lay figure in history.” Negro History Week eventually evolved into Black History Month.Source: www.historychannel.com
