After the passing of Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1950, ASALH’s mission has been sustained and advanced by a distinguished line of presidents whose leadership reflected scholarship, institutional growth, and community impact. Early presidents like George Cleveland Hall and Mary McLeod Bethune ensured continuity through the struggles of the Great Depression and World War II. Leaders such as Charles Harris Wesley, Lorenzo J. Greene, and Edgar Toppin strengthened ASALH’s scholarly foundation, while presidents who served in higher education and public life helped expand Black history curricula and public awareness. ASALH’s presidents — including Andrew Brimmer, who bridged academic and federal leadership, and more recent scholars like Daryl Michael Scott and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham — have carried Woodson’s vision into new eras of education, research, and national dialogue. Today, under the leadership of Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead, ASALH continues to promote, preserve, and disseminate African American history for a global community, honoring a century-long tradition of “walking with giants.”

Charles H. Wesley — Historian, educator, and ASALH president who helped carry forward Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s legacy. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division