UChicago Trivia: Which University of Chicago alumnus is credited as the founder of Black History Month?
UCHICAGO TRIVIA
Today's Question:
Which University of Chicago alumnus is credited as the founder of Black History Month?
a) Earl B. Dickerson
b) Carter G. Woodson
c) Timuel Black
d) Georgia Simpson
Answer:
b) Carter G. Woodson
The origins of Black History Month trace back to the summer of 1915 in Chicago. Carter G. Woodson, who graduated from the University of Chicago in 1908 and later went on to earn his Ph.D. from Harvard, visited the city for a national celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation which included history exhibits highlighting the progress African Americans had made since the destruction of slavery. Inspired by the event's success, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) in September 1915 to promote the scientific study of black life and history.
Woodson began to advocate for the celebration of black history achievements and, in February 1926, introduced Negro History Week at the Wabash YMCA in Chicago's Bronzeville. He chose February to align with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both already celebrated within black communities. This event evolved into Black History Month, celebrated every February. Woodson aimed to correct and highlight African American contributions to U.S. history.
In 2008, the University of Chicago honored Woodson's lasting impact on education and the importance of teaching black history by establishing the Carter G. Woodson Middle School campus of the UChicago Charter School.