Did you know that Black History Month has roots associated with the YMCA? In 1915, Carter G. Woodson, a University of Chicago alumnus, arrived in Chicago to attend a national celebration of the 50th anniversary of emancipation sponsored by the state of Illinois.
Woodson was inspired by this three-week celebration where thousands of African Americans had traveled across the country to see exhibits highlighting their people's progress since the end of slavery. He met at the Wabash Avenue YMCA in Chicago with a small group and formed the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). This began the foundation that would create Negro History and Literature Week, renamed Negro Achievement Week, later Negro History Week and eventually Black History Month.
Known as the "Father of Black History," Woodson wanted the study of past black life to have a significant impact stating, "We are going back to that beautiful history, and it is going to inspire us to greater achievements."
It is important to note that the focus of Black History Month has been on black achievements since enslavement in the U.S.; however, Woodson intended to explore modern black history as a starting point for deeper exploration beyond the arrival of enslaved Africans in the Americas.