Recognizing the dearth of information on the accomplishments of blacks in 1915, Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Under Woodson’s pioneering leadership, the Association created research and publication outlets for black scholars with the establishment of the Journal of Negro History (1916) and the Negro History Bulletin (1937), which garners a popular public appeal.
In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience.
Each year the Association chooses a theme for the celebration. This year the theme is The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.
According to ASALH.org “The black family has been a topic of study in many disciplines—history, literature, the visual arts and film studies, sociology, anthropology, and social policy. Its representation, identity, and diversity have been reverenced, stereotyped, and vilified from the days of slavery to our own time …
While the role of the black family has been described by some as a microcosm of the entire race, its complexity as the “foundation” of African American life and history can be seen in numerous debates over how to represent its meaning and typicality from a historical perspective…
The family offers a rich tapestry of images for exploring the African American past and present.”
Our panel will be moderated by broadcast journalist, Renata Sago and include ASALH local chapter President, Karen Adampoulos, and Connie L. Lester, Ph.D. of UCF’s Department of History.