Black History Month 2021 series

Our State of Mind by Robin Martin
American Black history month is back for 2021, what a substantial, exciting past and present, with contributions to the nation and to the world!

First, the month must always begin with the remembrance of the man who began the Negro History movement that became Black History Month that infused the magnificence of the culture, it’s conservative values, contributions in science and technology, agriculture, the humanities and exploration into the American democracy.

So, we are grateful for the unselfish dedication of Woodson, to his research, writing and preserving our rich history for all to share.

Carter G. Woodson was the visionary who personally took on ‘“he cause” as he called it. He collected, documented, and published African’s history in America. He journeyed from being uneducated to a Harvard Ph.D in History.

For you see, he did not attend high school until he was 20 years old. He attended Frederick Douglass High School in West Virginia, graduated in two years and went on to college to receive two bachelor of arts degrees and a masters from Chicago University.

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Negro History Week created by Woodson’s Association for the Study of Negro Life and History was celebrated in February to include the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. “The cause” evolved and became Negro History Week in 1926, inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, to Black History Month in 1976.

W. E. DuBois nominated Woodson for the coveted NAACP Spingarn Medal in 1926 for ten years of service for collected and published records of Negroes in America. It is said that DuBois declared that establishing Negro History Week, “was the greatest single accomplishment” of the Harlem Renaissance.

Woodson was determined to share Negro history with Negroes in order to dispel the myth of inferiority. Included in his mission was to present to the world the contributions of a race that was only known to be inferior, ignorant, yet feared for of their military and physical strength. He envisioned that if the world could know his people as he did, reason could overcome the prejudices in the Western world. His mission was to present to the world the contributions of a race that was only known to be inferior and ignorant.

An education was not a right, it was for those with power and wealth. Now that it is a right, most youth do not think it worth the trouble.

Woodson came to Washington, D.C. to work on his Ph.D. dissertation. While he lived and studied in the nation’s capital Woodson also taught history. Only African-American schools in Washington, D.C. included Negro history in their curriculum at that time. Today Black History is included in U.S. History textbooks. In predominantly white, American universities African-American Studies departments have been established.

Harvard University played a significant role in the education of two African-American men who eventually became pivotal in the movement. Woodson and DuBois received Ph.Ds. from Harvard. Woodson a Ph.D. in history and DuBois was the first Negro to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard, the oldest college in America.

Woodson died in April 1950 at 75 years of age. His legacy lives on, his vision has more clarity, more scope and more hope this February than any other.

“We have a wonderful history behind us…If you are unable to demonstrate to the world that you have this record, the world will say to you, ‘You are not worthy to enjoy the blessings of democracy or anything else.’ They will say to you, ‘Who are you anyway?’ …Let us, then study …this history…with understanding that we are not, after all, an inferior people. …We are going back to that beautiful history, and it is going to inspire us to greater achievements. It is not going to be long before we can sing the story to the outside world as to convince it of the value of our history… and we are going to be recognized as men.” Carter G. Woodson speech Hampton Institute, Library of Congress.

So, we are grateful for the unselfish dedication of Woodson, to his research, writing and preserving our rich history for all to share.

African American History
2017 – January Serena Williams wins her 23rd grand slam beating her sister Venus at the Australian Open.

In memory of Emmanuel McCaskill, Sr.  1925 to 1997

Happy birthday to my son Che’

Ms. Martin is an educator, freelance writer and 2008 Monmouth University Dr. King Unsung Hero recipient. email ourstateofmindgap@gmail.com