By Shirley Tarpley
February is “our nation’s official” observation of Black History. It is disheartening to think of the controversy surrounding this very important holiday.
Some people joked, “We were given the shortest month of the year to celebrate our history.” This is not just Black History that we are celebrating, not just America’s history, but history of the world. Many great and useful inventions that are being used worldwide, and that are taken for granted were invented by Africa Americans. And, have you noticed that the majority of them were made to save Black folks from doing hard labor? The cell phone was invented by a Black man, the car battery, and open heart surgery to name a few essential things that are in use today.
Some people think that it’s by pure accident that some Black Americans, the same ones that we hear about year after year; have done anything worthwhile. Moreover, some people easily accept that we have a few famous entertainers, sports figures and a few entrepreneurs making millions of dollars; but they are slow to recognize that there are many African Americans that have excelled, and are continuing to excel and invent devices to help all of mankind; they use math and science to make a difference in how we live, work, play, and entertain today.
As a retired teacher, I too wish that all history of great magnitude is put in our textbooks, especially Black history, which is American’s history; in spite of what we have been taught. But wishing it is not going to get the information in our textbooks on the grand scale that it needs to be.
The story of Carter Godwin Woodson, Father of Black History (December 1875 – April 1950) is a captivating and inspiration story in itself.
Woodson said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.” Dr. Woodson was a distinguished Black author, editor, publisher, and historian who put his money, life, blood, sweat and tears in establishing Black History Week, (in the 1960s it was established as Black History MONTH) believed that Blacks should know their past in order to participate intelligently in the affairs in our country. He, Dr. Woodson, strongly believed that Black history—which others (even some Black Americans) have tried so diligently to erase—is a firm foundation for young Black Americans to build on in order to become productive citizens of our society.
Prior to “Negro History Week,” that was founded in 1926; Dr. Woodson and several of his friends established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. The following year, the Journal of Negro History appeared (one of the oldest learned journals in the United States.) In 1937 Dr. Woodson published the first issue of the Negro History Bulletin.
In 1912 (the year my mother, Cedella Baker Demus, was born) Dr. Woodson, received his Ph.D in history from Harvard University. He developed an important philosophy of history. History, he insisted, was not the mere gathering of fact. The object of historical study is to arrive at a reasonable interpretation of the facts. History is more than political and military records of peoples and nations. It must include some description of the social conditions of the period being studied.
Woodson often said that he hoped the time would come when Negro History Week would be unnecessary; when all Americans would willingly recognize the contributions of Black Americans as a legitimate and integral part of the history of this country. His concept has given a profound sense of dignity to all Black Americans; and we must not forget it! Nor should we stop Black History Month.
