Black History Month Letter to the ASALH Membership and Friends from the President’s Desk
Dear ASALH Family,
It is Black History Month! It is the month in which the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) leads the nation in the recognition and celebration of the history of African Americans. As you know, ASALH celebrates African American History 24/7 and 12 months of the year. It is the mission and legacy that our founder Dr. Carter G. Woodson has left us. Thus, as he intended when he started Negro History Week in 1926, our celebrations and programs in February are the culmination of the year-long planning and programming for the celebration of our history.
As Black History Month begins, I would like to update you on some changes at ASALH.
On January 25, the Executive Council met and announced the result of the membership vote for Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead of Loyola University, Maryland as the new Secretary of ASALH.
At the same meeting, three new corporate members were appointed to the Executive Council. They are:
Nora Blackman-Richards, Director of the Percy E. Sutton SEEK Program and a resident of Long Island, NY.
John E. Adams, a CPA residing in Chicago, IL.
Walter Lanier, an attorney from Milwaukee, WI.
We welcome these new members of the Executive Council and look forward to the contributions that they will make to ASALH.
Black History Month is also when ASALH kicked off its annual Festival. This year’s Black History Month theme is “African Americans and the Arts.” Last evening the opening program consisted of a panel discussion on “The Black Presence in Sci-Fi, Anime and Comics.” The recording can be found on ASALH TV, our YouTube channel. Share this important discussion about how African Americans have once again contributed to a new and exciting genre of the arts. Our goal is to reach 6,000 subscribers by the end of the month. Subscribe to ASALH TV and ask others in your network to do so. Our video library has close to 300 programs that support our mission and vision.
The program is just one of a month-long series of programs about African Americans and the Arts. See ASALH’s website for more information about the Black History Month Festival. Our branches have events planned as well. Support these events as well. You can also purchase tickets and tables for the annual Black History Month Luncheon that will take place in Washington, DC on February 24, 2024. I look forward to seeing you there.
Lastly, we mourn the loss of a dear friend, The Black Eagle, Joe Madison. The impact that he made as a journalist, civil rights and social justice activist, and author is legendary. In 2023, Mr. Madison was presented with an ASALH Council Award of Special Recognition. He will be sorely missed.
