National Group to Celebrate Black Studies Roots in Chicago
Racial issues were front and center in America in 1915. The controversial film, “The Birth of the Nation,” which portrayed all blacks as unintelligent and black men as sexually aggressive towards white women was released. And more than 50 African-Americans were lynched. Before the year was out, the Ku Klux Klan was reborn in Stone Mountain, Ga.
This was the political climate that existed when historian Carter G. Woodson and other African Americans met a century ago in Chicago to form the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Next week, a series of programs will be held to commemorate the group, which is credited with launching black studies programs at colleges and universities.
Darlene Clark Hine, a Northwestern University history professor who received a 2013 National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama for her work on the African American experience, will be among the presenters at the conference.
“[Woodson] thought there was no systematic study of black history,” said Lionel Kimble Jr., associate professor of history at Chicago State University and co-chair of the celebration. “He wanted to have a group where individuals could talk about black history— along with art, literature, culture and music.”
Woodson, often referred to as the father of black history, met with other historians to start the organization on Sept. 9, 1915, at the former Wabash Avenue YMCA, 3763 S. Wabash Ave.
At the meeting with Woodson, were W.D. Hartgrove, a history teacher; A.L. Jackson, who worked with various YMCA youth programs; George Cleveland Hall, chief of surgery at Provident Hospital in Chicago and James E. Stamps, who was a college professor at Hampton University in Virginia and Prairie View A&M University in Texas.
After the association was formed, the group eventually started the Journal of Negro History, which today is the Journal of African American History.
Today, there are 2,000 members in 32 branches, including one in Chicago.
“Woodson thought it was important in how we saw ourselves,” Kimble said.
By 1926, Woodson started Negro History Week, which corresponded with the February birthdays of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and former President Abraham Lincoln.
In 1976, the celebration was expanded to the entire month of February.
Woodson, a native of Canton, Va., got his master’s degree from the University of Chicago. He also is the second black to get his Ph’d from Harvard University.
The programs celebrating Woodson and the association will be Sept. 9-12.
A laying of a historic plaque to honor the founding of the Chicago branch will take place at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 9, at the Wabash YMCA.
A panel discussion titled “Librarian as Cultural Broker: Vivian Gordon Harsh and the Creation of an Archive will be 6 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Carter G. Woodson Library, 9525 S. Halsted St.
Chicago historian Timuel Black will lead a round table discussion on the importance of black institutions at 6 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Chicago State University library auditorium, 9501 S. King Dr.
Hine, the high profile local professor, and others will discuss Woodson and the importance of black institutions 10 a.m. Sept. 12 at the DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl.
For more information, call 773-495-1125.
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