Reflecting on Black History's Week, Month, and Future

The Association for the Study of African American Life is one of many things I was never taught during Black History Month growing up in grade school. It's the tea leaves of an organization created by Carter G Woodson back in 1915 to highlight research into what African American people contributed to society.

Woodson is credited as the 'Father of Black History Month' because his yearning to showcase Black contributions resulted in Negro History Week. Woodson chose the second week of February to highlight former President Abraham Lincoln and renoun abolitionist Fredrick Douglas' birthdays.

Now in 2025, We culturally joke about how Black History Month would be the shortest month of the year, while simultaneously cringing at the thought that this concept so ingrained into our upbringing could be ignored.

A memo from the Department of Defense headlined 'Identity Months Dead at DoD' stirred up conflicting emotions for me. The memo said the department wouldn't use official resources to celebrate events surrounding what they referred to as 'identity months'. Not using resources is not the same as the social frenzy that relayed to masses that the governmental department was essentially attempting to erase history, but it did bring to my attention that it is the celebrations, the events, the cultural pause that helps most of us actively pause to remember. Could this concept of Black History be erased if the right person said so?

I know the answer is no. There are too many educated Blacks today that won't let it die, at least not in our lifetime, including me.

Yet the feeling of uncertainty has led me on a journey to want to learn more about the foundation of this concept; the documentation and celebration of contributions by people who look like me. I hope this Black History Month whoever reading this has also found out something new about the history you have to get personally curious about to truly learn. Thank you Carter G Woodson and the many named/unnamed beings continuing to document and reiterate this section of history.