Top of the Morning column published in The Natchez Democrat (Wednesday, February 26, 2025, page 4A)
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Top of the Morning
Looking back at the origins of Black History Month
When I was a kid growing up in the Mississippi Delta, I was a big fan of TV westerns. I watched many shows about cowboys and Indians, and for the longest time, I believed the Indians were the villains in our history. But as I grew up, I learned the Indians were not the villains.
The media and historians in the late 19th and 20th century led us to believe that Native Americans were the bad guys. However, that is not the story they told themselves. They believed they were the good guys defending their homeland from interlopers. But the historians did not tell those stories until the 1960s and 1970s, much like the stories of African Americans being told in modern times.
Today we see attacks on Black History Month. Its relevance is questioned by politicians and celebrities. Sadly, some people are simply misinformed. With these concerns in mind, I will discuss for a moment the origin of Black History Month, something we cannot do without mentioning Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950).
Woodson is known as the “Father of Black History Month.” He was a distinguished historian, writer, editor, and publisher. Before he came along, historians showed little interest in the history of African Americans. The former slaves and people of color had a history, but it was often overlooked or omitted from the history books.
Woodson biographer Burnis R. Morris correctly noted, “Many of the historians of the 19th century and early 20th century left African Americans out, and those who included them in their history books distorted facts and included many untruths.”
Speaking of historian John Hope Franklin, Professor Leon Litwack astutely observed that Franklin’s book, “From Slavery to Freedom,” holds that “African Americans had a history—a past based not only on what white men did to black Americans but on what black Americans did for themselves.”
Woodson believed that African Americans made significant contributions to the history of the United States and other nations. He also believed this history should be recorded and celebrated. In addition to giving African Americans a sense of pride and inspiration, this history should help to address the issues of racism, he thought, showing that all people are created equal.
On February 7, 1926, Woodson announced the first celebration of Negro History Week. Woodson chose this time period to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass (February 1818) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809), two men who played important roles in the freedom of African Americans. This period of celebration would later expand to the full month and become known as Black History Month.
Contrary to what some have claimed, Black History Month was not given to African Americans by whites, and it was not relegated to the shortest and coldest month of the year. While it is true that Black History Month received official recognition in 1976 by President Gerald Ford, February was intentionally chosen decades earlier because of Lincoln and Douglass.
Woodson said, “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” This quote is true and deadly accurate without debate.
Today, we have Black history that we can look to for lessons, insight, and inspiration. For it reveals what we all have contributed to the success of our great nation. It recognizes from all periods of history the intelligence, resilience, and contributions of African Americans in all fields. At the same time, it promotes acceptance and inclusivity.
So instead of criticizing this history and pushing it aside, we should all come together and learn from this history as we work to find common ground and build a healthy society.
ROSCOE BARNES III, Ph.D., is the cultural heritage tourism manager at Visit Natchez.
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