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The beginning of Black History Month 2023 has sparked debates surrounding the teaching and significance of African American studies.
On February 1, 2023, the College Board unveiled a revised curriculum for its newly established Advanced Placement African American Studies course.
Many critics have charged that the College Board succumbed to political pressures, particularly in light of Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida banning the course from public high schools. This ban was justified by claims that the curriculum contained radical ideas, including topics like critical race theory, reparations, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
On February 11, 1951, renowned scholar and activist W.E.B. Du Bois, then 82 years old, penned an article titled “Negro History Week” for the fleeting New York newspaper The Daily Compass.
Du Bois, one of the founders of the NAACP and the esteemed editor of its influential magazine The Crisis, is widely recognized as a leading intellectual on race in America. His insights continue to resonate globally.
The reflections shared by Du Bois in his 1951 article are particularly relevant today, highlighting the significance of Black History Month amid ongoing discussions about African American studies.
Beginning his commentary, Du Bois honored Carter G. Woodson, who founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and established Negro History Week in 1926—a precursor to the modern Black History Month.
Du Bois characterized this annual observance as Woodson’s “crowning achievement.”
Woodson was the second African American to receive a doctorate in history from Harvard University, with Du Bois being the first.
While Du Bois and Woodson had their differences, they maintained mutual respect throughout their careers, as I discuss in my new book, “The Wounded World: W.E.B. Du Bois and the First World War.”
Reckoning with History and Reclaiming the Past
Throughout the late 1940s and into the 1950s, Du Bois’ association with and support for Negro History Week deepened. In this period, he frequently emphasized the relevance of Negro History Week in his speeches and writings.
In the February 11, 1951 piece, Du Bois reflected that his own contributions to Negro History Week “lay in my long effort as a historian and sociologist to make America and Negroes themselves aware of the significant facts of Negro history.”
By summarizing his scholarly work, from his first book, “The Suppression of the African Slave Trade,” published in 1896, to his magnum opus, “Black Reconstruction in America,” published in 1935, Du Bois conveyed that much of his career was devoted to correcting the misrepresentation of history regarding Negro enfranchisement.
He expressed hope that this would lead to a national awareness of African Americans as valuable contributors who had been unjustly overlooked by biased historians.
Alongside advocating for Negro History Week, Du Bois recognized the efforts of other Black scholars, such as E. Franklin Frazier, Charles Johnson, and Shirley Graham, who diligently worked to address the gaps and inaccuracies about Black lives in educational materials.
Du Bois also cataloged the accomplishments of African Americans across various fields, including science, religion, art, literature, and military service, emphasizing the pride inherent in Black history.
Nevertheless, Du Bois challenged readers to consider what these achievements truly signified regarding contemporary issues facing Black communities.
“What now does Negro History Week stand for?” he queried in the 1951 article. “Shall American Negroes continue to learn to be ‘proud’ of themselves, or is there a higher broader aim for their research and study?”
“In other words,” he continued, “as more becomes known about what Negroes contributed to America historically, it becomes imperative to address what the future holds.”
Du Bois believed the time had arrived for African Americans to aspire to be more than just equals to white Americans.
He argued that Black individuals should abandon the embrace of detrimental American traits such as flamboyance, individualism, and greed, instead turning their support toward labor unions, Pan-Africanism, and anti-colonial initiatives.
He notably urged for an in-depth exploration of the historical and economic foundations of racism: “Here is a field for Negro History Week.”
Black History and Black Struggle
Looking forward, Du Bois asserted that if Negro History Week remained “true to the ideals of Carter Woodson” and accurately reflected “the logical development of the Negro Race in America,” it should not restrict itself to past achievements or “boasting and vainglory over what we have accomplished.”
“It will not mistake wealth as the measure of America, nor big-business and noise as World Domination,” he articulated in his writing.
Instead, he envisioned Negro History Week focusing on contemporary issues, embracing radical literature, and above all advocating for peace while standing firmly against conflict between people of different races.
Were he alive today, Du Bois would likely have substantial insights on the ongoing discussions regarding the instruction of African American history and the overarching importance of African American studies. Du Bois passed away on August 27, 1963, in Accra, Ghana.
However, his prophetic words continue to underscore the connections between African American studies and the movements advocating for Black liberation, reminding us of the role teaching African American history plays in confronting racist and exclusionary narratives in the U.S. While doing so, Du Bois serves as a reminder that Black History Month is founded upon a tradition of activism and resistance, a legacy that remains potent today.
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