Making Black History

This compelling work traces the origins of the modern Black history movement to its intellectual engine during the Jim Crow era, focusing on historian Carter G. Woodson and his groundbreaking Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Snyder meticulously documents how Woodson pioneered what we now recognize as Black history education, creating institutional foundations where none existed and challenging dominant historical narratives that erased African American contributions. The book reveals the strategic vision behind establishing Negro History Week, which would eventually evolve into the Black History Month celebrated today.

What makes this account particularly powerful is its exploration of how Woodson's organization operated as both an academic institution and an activist vehicle during a period of intense racial oppression. Snyder demonstrates how the collection and dissemination of Black historical knowledge became a form of resistance against systemic erasure, offering young readers crucial context for understanding contemporary conversations about representation and historical truth. This is essential reading for anyone seeking to comprehend how marginalized communities reclaim their narratives and build intellectual movements from the ground up.