February is Black History Month. This year is a particularly special celebration as it marks a century of Black history celebrations, as the celebrations began in 1926 with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s (ASALH) first national Negro History Week. This celebration would morph into the Black History Month we know today when it became federally recognized in 1976. In her Black History Month Proclamation at the start of this month, Govenor Whitmer shared that “studying this important part of our history and reflecting on the burdens of racial prejudice and stereotypes can open the door to innovative ideas and provide insight into building an environment in Michigan that supports our continued efforts to combat racism, to strive toward racial equity, and to be a place of freedom, opportunity, and inclusiveness for everyone.”
The ASALH has continued to lead the celebrations of Black history, choosing a national theme to guide the celebrations each year. This year’s theme is A Century of Black History Commemorations. The ASALH selected this theme to encourage us to “explore the impact and meaning of Black history and life commemorations in transforming the status of Black peoples in the modern world.”
In honor of this theme, the Michigan School of Psychology is sharing just a few individuals who played an important part in Black history for each decade since the celebrations began.
1920s
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, often referred to as the founder of Black History Month, was a founding member and the director of the ASALH. Dr. Woodson became dedicated to highlighting Black history after being denied access to the American Historical Association’s conference. Throughout his entire life, Dr. Woodson worked tirelessly to preserve and elevate the contributions of Black Americans, a mission the ASALH continues to this day.
1930s
In 1936, Jesse Owens reached unparalleled Olympic success when he won four gold medals in track & field. Not only was this an incredible physical achievement, as he was the first American to win four gold medals in a single Olympics, but Owens did this at the Berlin Olympics in 1936, where his wins clearly illustrated the falsehoods of Nazi Germany’s race theory. After returning from the games, Owens spent a significant amount of time working with youth sports and black history programs.
1940s
The 1940s were dominated by the events of World War II. For Black history, this time marked the founding of the Tuskegee Airmen, an elite squadron in the United States Air Force comprised of the first Black military aviators. The Tuskegee Airmen are famous for rarely losing a bomber on their escort missions, and many of them would go on to have historical careers in the US military as it began desegregating in 1948.
1950s
Willie Thrower became the first Black quarterback in the modern NFL when he took the field for the Chicago Bears in 1953. Following years of an unofficial Black player ban and beliefs that Black men were not suitable team leaders, Thrower’s time as quarterback forever changed the league and inspired the next generation of Black football players.
1960s
The 1960s are perhaps the most well-known in Black history for the Civil Rights movement and the likes of the Greensboro Four, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. It also saw the beginning of more representation for Black Americans in the federal government. In 1965, Robert Weaver became the first Black person to serve in a cabinet position, as the first secretary of the newly created Department of Housing and Urban Development, Constance Baker Motely became the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge, and Edward Brooke became the first Black senator to be elected via popular vote.
1970s
In 1971, George Ellis Johnson became the first Black business owner to have his company listed on a major American stock exchange. His company, Johnson Products Company, sold Black haircare products and was started with just a $250 loan.
1980s
Frederick Drew Gregory was the first Black person to pilot a space shuttle in 1985 when he flew the Challenger. In 1989, he would become the commander of the Discovery, making him the first Black person to hold this position as well. Gregory would later go on to become the first Black person to serve in a senior role in NASA.
1990s
In 1993, Toni Morrison became the first Black woman and the first Black American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Morrison is known for her novels Beloved, The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, but she also edited for Random House and was a professor at numerous Ivy League schools.
2000s
Barack Obama made history as the first Black President of the United States of America when he was elected in 2008. This title was made official when he was inaugurated in January of 2009. Being a “first” was nothing new for Obama, who had previously been the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review.
2010s
Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas became the first Black gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal in 2012. During these games, she also became the first American of any race to win both the all-around and team gold in a single Olympics. Douglas’s success helped to set the stage for a new age of American gymnastics.
2020s
100 years after we started, Black Americans are still creating history and inspiring the future. In 2020, during a game in Tampa Bay, Jerome Boger, Barry Anderson, Julian Mapp, Carl John, Dale Shaw, Anthony Jeffries, and Greg Steed became the first all-Black NFL officiating team. Upon her inauguration in 2021, Kamala Harris became the first Black Vice President of the United States and would become the first Black woman nominated for President by a major US political party in 2024.
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