I grew up in a predominately Black area and attended schools with roughly 90% the same population.

What I remember learning about some of my cultural roots in school consisted of Martin Luther King Jr.,

slavery, Rosa Parks, and the cotton gin. Black History month included a little more detail about what

Americans with African heritage really did. Until I sought out my own history and culture there was a

void for many years. American culture can have the masses thinking no further back than what their

grandfather may have accomplished. I wonder; does the type of person you are shape the way you

learn? Or, does the way or what you learn shape the type of person you will be?

I wanted to share some of my background for there to be an understanding of why I am writing this

article and do some of the things I do. I want to also give an introduction to the person who started

what we all know as Black history month.

Carter G. Woodson was born in 1875. The son of former slaves, he was able to obtain only the most

basic education growing up. At 20 years old he started high school and graduated 2 years later. He

attended several colleges here and abroad, finally earning his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1912. (He was the

second African American to achieve such a degree at the time; do you know who the first was?) Upon

traveling to Chicago in 1915 to attend a 3 week event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of

slavery, Dr.Woodson’s thirst for knowledge was again sparked. This time he would dedicate his study to

Black history 24/7/365 days a year.

His home served as headquarters to his life’s work from 1915 -1970, 20 years past his death. The hub

of several self-published journals regarding ‘negro’ history, it also was where “The Associated Publishers

Inc.” publishing company did its business. Books such as: “The mis-education of the Negro” and “The

story of the Negro retold” being 2 of the several releases of the company and authored by Dr. Woodson.

In 1926 Dr. Woodson and Rev. Jesse Moorland founded “The Association for the Study of Negro Life

and History”. That same year the organization sponsored a National Negro History Week through Black

schools around the nation. It was held the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of

Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Over the years, but especially within the 1960’s, the weeklong

celebration in the Black communities turned into a month long event. Every year since 1928 there has

been a theme from “Civilization: A World Achievement” to “A Century of Black Life, History and

Culture”.

C.G. Woodson’s life’s work is still going strong. The association that began over 100 years ago is now

called “The Association for the Study of African American Life and History”. You can find information at

www.ASALH100.ORG

The year I was born was the first time an American president nationally recognized what was

commonly known at the time as “Black History Month”. It was also the year Carter G. Woodson’s home

was made a national historical landmark for its “national significance in African American cultural

heritage. “ 20 years later, in 1996, it was “officially” renamed – National African American History

Month. National meaning the entire nation, for the whole month.

Well I don’t know about you, but I don’t see much national celebration remembrance, educational

forums or anything of the like happening on any level outside of local efforts. Let’s face it, some places

will never acknowledge there is even such an occasion to observe. Remember Arizona’s refusal to

accept the MLK holiday? I remember walking around downtown Sonoma with a friend in the early 90’s,

we wanted to see what people knew of our culture. We asked people what they knew about Malcolm

X. It turns out, after an hour of asking random people, they all knew nothing at all about the iconic

figure.

Black history is relegated to a month. In American history class we were all taught to respect who the

fore fathers were and what they did for our great nation, etc., etc. Is our history not American history

too? Did we not help build this nation with our BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS and IDEAS? Is that not worth

more than just a month of study? Not being enough for me I created The Heru Network in 2011 to

spread my culture and heritage every month here in Sonoma County. Join us sometime.

Kandis Nelson