Black History Month is almost over, but that doesn't mean it's time to stop paying attention to African-American history.
One part of that history is the origin of Black History Month itself. The month's observance and celebration began in 1926, spurred by the "Father of Black History" Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
Woodson's legacy, the origins of the month-long event and its current significance, are the subject of a Friday event at Wayne State University. The event is a fundraiser for the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History, the group Woodson founded, and which recently re-formed its Detroit chapter.
Michigan State University Professor Dr. Pero G. Dagbovie will speak about his book "Old School Black Historians and the Hip-Hop Generation."
ASALH spokeswoman Kathie House said Dr. Dagbovie will talk about a number of important historical figures, including Woodson.
"He grew up in during the time of Civil Rights and Jim Crow. He was a victim of apartheid, American-style," House said. "He documented the history by performing scientific research on the African-American community."
House said Black History Month actually began as a week-long event. Woodson chose to hold it in February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, which many African-Americans celebrated at the time.
The talk will take place at Friday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren in Detroit.