THE HISTORY OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Initiated for the first time on February 7, 1926, Negro History Week, as it was called then, was the brain child of Carter G Woodson, PhD, historian, author, journalist, and educator.
Carter G Woodson was born in 1875 into a sharecropping family. He got a late start on his education as he was needed to work on the farm. At 17 years old, he went to work as a coal miner to help support his family. By 20 years old, he had saved enough money from coal mining to start his formal education. He attended Frederick Douglass High School, in Huntington, WV; one of only a few high schools available to an African American. He finished high school in two years, as he was self-taught in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Carter went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Berea College in 1903. He continued on, earning his master’s in history from the University of Chicago. Later, Carter would earn a doctorate from Harvard.
Dr Woodson realized early on that African Americans, their history, and their contributions were woefully missing in American history and academic textbooks. He made it his life long mission to rectify that. He was a co-founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now named the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). In 1921, he founded Associated Publishers Inc, to publish and distribute the works of African Americans, women, and minorities, giving a voice to underrepresented groups that traditional publishing companies ignored.
In February 1970, the students, faculty and administration of Kent State, in Ohio, designated the entire month of February as a celebration of Black History—preceding the national holiday designation, established in 1976 under Gerald Ford. The story is that February was chosen as the month to celebrate because Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, and Abe Lincoln, both have birthdays in February.
Each year, ASALF designates a theme for Black History Month. This year’s theme is Resistance. Follow this link for a list of events happening nationally this February:
https://blackhistorymonth.gov/
Locally, Janice Lovelace, PhD, is presenting two classes; both virtual online. One is sponsored by Fiske, Wed, February 8, at 10:00 AM, “Precarious Lives of Free Blacks Pre-1865”. The other sponsored by SGS, Saturday, February 11, at 1:00 AM, “Black Miners in the Western US”. Links for both of these are under Calendar of Events on the SGS website page.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
St Patrick’s week activities are coming soon and SGS will have an information booth during Irish Festal at Seattle Center on Saturday, March 11, 2023 and Sunday, March 12, 2023. The booth will operate from noon to 6:00 pm both days. Volunteers are needed to man the booth for two hour shifts and answer simple genealogy questions. If you can help out, please call or text Jean Roth at 206-510-5202. This outreach activity helps SGS get it’s annual 4Culture grant funding.
100 years ago: 31 January 1923
“TELEGRAMS IN SUBWAY SPEED” article celebrated the installation of the new pneumatic tube that ran down Union to First Avenue and then to Cherry Street. The Western Union office on Fourth Avenue was also served by the pneumatic tube. The article exclaimed, “It’s only forty seconds now from Henry Building to First Avenue and Cherry Street by Western Union Tube”. And it was “possible to get a message from the Henry branch to New York in eight minutes.”
“Telegrams in Subway Speed,” Seattle Post Intelligencer,
31 January 1923. p. 13, col 2.
* Watch each eNews! issue for “100 years ago”, our new anecdotal series. We will be running it for the duration of 2023, our centennial year.
SAVE THE DATE
Jewish Genealogical Society of Washington State,
usually 2nd Monday meetings
usually 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM PST
JGSWS meets on the second Monday of each month, from Sept-June. Doors open at 6:30 PM unless noted otherwise. Next meeting is Feb 13, 2023. The topic is “How to Read a Jewish Tombstone” with Robin Meltzer.
http://www.jgsws.org/meetings.php
“RootsTech 2023”,
Family History Library,
Salt Lake City, Utah
Mar 2-4, 2023
Choose how to attend; in person or online! Visit the website for more info and registration. Virtually attendance is no fee. In person is only $98.
https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/home?mc_cid=d8c7b37731&mc_eid=2ae79ab586
SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Good Shepherd Center, Suite 302
4649 Sunnyside Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
206 522-8658
New Hours : Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
10:00 am – 3:00 pm ** Please call ahead to make sure our library will be open. We are short on front desk volunteers. *** The elevator in the Good Shepherd Center will be out of service for the next several weeks.
Masks are recommended inside the Good Shepherd Center. Due to COVID the events listed below continue to be virtual, online via Zoom. Always check the SGS Website Calendar of Events for the meeting links, registration, or for last minute updates or changes to the schedule. Be advised you may need to register in advance to join a meeting.
NOTICE: SGS has imposed more security on our Zoom meetings. Some meetings will begin with a waiting room. The host must take action to let people into each meeting. The host will try to open the waiting room about 10 minutes ahead of time. Please be patient.
All times listed are Pacific Time unless otherwise noted
Saturday, February 4, 2023, 10:15 am- 12:15 pm, FamilySearch SIG, with Lou Daly. Discover many ways to use the FamilySearch website in your research. Meeting includes instruction and time for Q&A. Email Lou to get on the email list: loudaly@nwlink.com
Sunday, February 5, 2023, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, DNA Workshop, with Cary Bright and Craig Gowens. To participate you need to be on the SGS DNA Interest Group email list. Contact Cary Bright at SGSDNASIG@gmail.com to join.
Monday, February 6, 2023, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Saturday, February 11, 2023, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm, Second Saturday: Black Miners in the Western US, with Janice Lovelace.
Monday, February 13, 2023, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Tuesday, February 14, 2023, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary.
Saturday, February 18, 2023, 10:00 am- 12:00 pm, Irish SIG, with Susan McKee and Jim Ryan. See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information. Notice there is a new Zoom link.
Saturday, February 18, 2023, 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm, German SIG, with Carolyn Schott See the SGS website Calendar of Events for further information. Notice there is a new Zoom link.
Sunday,February 19, 2023, 1:00 pm-2:30 pm, Virtual Sundays: Something Old, Something New, Jill Morelli is the usual host.
Monday, February 20, 2023, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Monday, February 27, 2023, 10:00 am-11:30 am, Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual), Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists.
Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 10:00 am-11:00 am, Tech Tuesday (Virtual), back by popular demand, the informal consultation time on DNA, genealogy software, or genealogy-related technical issues. All are welcome. No appointment necessary.