Exploring A Century Of Black Achievement And Why Studying It Today Still Matters

A hundred years after Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week, we step back and ask a simple question with big consequences: how do we choose what to remember?  Educator and former coach Daryl Page  charts the living map of Black history—its origins, its overlooked corners, and the practical ways we can study and share it with the next generation.

We begin with the roots: why February, how the month became official in 1976, and the milestones that give it muscle—from the Greensboro sit-ins and Rosa Parks’s catalytic act to Jackie Robinson’s debut and the elections of Barack Obama and Kamala Harris. Daryl brings it home with a curated reading list for classrooms and book clubs: Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Richard Wright’s The Man Who Was Almost a Man, James Baldwin’s The Rockpile, Langston Hughes’s Cora Unashamed, and Eugenia Collier’s Marigolds. Each piece is grounded in place—Arkansas, Harlem, Iowa, rural Maryland—turning geography into character and history into lived experience.

We also spotlight the backbone of movements: Black women who organized, calculated, invented, and led. From Harriet Tubman and Ella Baker to Katherine Johnson, Marie Van Brittan Brown, and contemporary trailblazers, their work links abolition, civil rights, STEM innovation, and cultural change. And we trace the power of sport to challenge systems, celebrating pioneers like Jesse Owens, Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Wilma Rudolph, Bill Russell, and modern icons such as Serena and Venus Williams, Simone Biles, and Michael Jordan—athletes who turned excellence into advocacy.

This conversation blends story, strategy, and actionable ideas. If you’re a teacher, parent, or lifelong learner, you’ll leave with a reading plan, historical context, and ways to use media to spark curiosity. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves great books and big ideas, and leave a review with the title you’ll read first. What will you study this month?

Transcript

Origins Of Black History Month

Call To Study Our Own History

Five Essential Literary Works

Using Media To Engage Learners

Why February And Official Recognition

Civil Rights Milestones Highlighted

Black Women As Movement Backbones

Trailblazers In Sports And Impact

Closing Thanks And Farewell

SPEAKER_00 0:04

All right, good afternoon. Um, my name is Daryl Page. I am the former head coach at Wilson High School and currently a teacher there at Wilson High School. I've been in Florence for right at about a little over 25 years, and um I've had the unique opportunity to teach African American literature. Uh it's one of my favorite courses, and I thank uh Dr. Allie Brooks for allowing us to teach it uh many years ago. And everywhere I've taught, whether it's been uh Wilson High School, whether it's been Lower Richland High School or West Florence High School, I've always been able to teach this course at least one time. And um it's really developed a deep sense of appreciation for African American history and its impact in this country. Just sharing with the um staff here um off camera that um in February of 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a native of Virginia, he started uh Negro History Week as it was known then. So as we move into February of 2026, this will be the hundredth year that um African American History Week, or African American History Week when it started, but now it's African American History Month, has been celebrated in this country. And um it shows you the vast impact that the African American has had in the United States. And so we want to celebrate it. We'll talk about it a little bit today, and uh some of the uh impact that it has had, not just in all areas of the United States in all areas of the world. The African American has impacted North America from the time that our ancestors arrived on this continent until present day. And whatever field that you could possibly name, the African American has made an impact. From agriculture to the arts and sciences, entertainment, athletics, and politics, our people have made significant contributions to the advancement of this country. People such as Spike Lee, James Baldwin, Tony Morrison, Booker T. Washington are just a few that we can name. However, how much do we know about other aspects of our history, such as the Scottsboro Boys, the Wilmington 10, or Dred Scott? Our own state of South Carolina has produced such notables as Jesse Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie from here in the PD area in Shiraw, Mary McLeod Bethune, who's from Maysville, originally born in Maysville, Marion Wright Edelman, who's born in Bennett'sville, Viola Davis, Chadwick Bozeman, and Joe Frazier are just a few of the natives from our own state of South Carolina. As we move forth into this month of African American history, we ask that we as a people go out and actually study our history. A civilization that has that does not study history is bound to repeat it. And the things we want to do as far as impacting our own community and impacting our young people is to teach and study and follow. As we move forth into this month, one of the areas that I'd like to share with you about is African American authors. Being a teacher of African American literature, I constantly read and study these authors every day to share with my students. And on this particular day, I think I picked out maybe five stories that are definitely worth you checking out, whether it's in video or in the actual book form. The books that I've chosen are I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, The Man Who Was Almost a Man by Richard Wright, The Rock Power by James Baldwin, Cora Unashamed by Langston Hughes. That's one uh I don't think a lot of people have read before. It's an excellent piece, and Marigold's by Eugenia Collier. Each of these stories was set throughout the United States in different areas. Um The Man Who Was Almost a Man by Richard Wright was set on a rural farm in the Midwest. I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings, which we've seen in uh various movie forms, was based on the uh life of Maya Angelou and it's based out of Stamps, Arkansas. The Rock Pile gives us a taste of the city from Jane Baldwin in Harlem, New York, where it's based. Coral Unashamed was based out of Melton Iowa. And Marigold's by Eugenia Collier was based in rural Maryland. And those stories are just five that you can share. You go out and look up, um, you can look online, you can find them on Amazon, you can find them in just do a Google search, and the information is there. And they're very good reads that you can share with young people. You can share in a book group or a book of the month club. That would be an excellent, um, an excellent, I guess, to say uh excellent way to actually get this information out. Or you can share it in a newsletter. Uh and one of the good things about technology, it allows YouTube, and they have unlimited amounts of uh information on it, on these authors, on anything you can name. And if you can actually add text and video, you'll get a lot more interest from younger people, and you can post it on your social media pages. African American History Month, or Black History Month, is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. The origins and significance of the month. It was founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. The event began as Negro History Week in 1926, and it was established again by Dr. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. The selection of February as African American History Month. February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, which is February the 12th, and Frederick Douglass, February 14th. Two figures pivotal to Black history. The official recognition came for Black History Month in 1976 when President Gerald Ford officially designated February as Black History Month, calling on the public to honor the too often overlooked achievements of Black Americans. Key historical milestones from the month. The month often highlights critical moments in the struggle for civil rights and societal contributions. These include the Greensboro Four from February 1st, 1960, for black student stage to sit in at Woolworth's lunch counter, sparking a movement that led to the desegregation of many Southern diners. The Rosa Park Stand, which occurred on December 1, 1955, for her refusal to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, ended up being a catalyst for the civil rights movement. Jackie Robinson, 1947. He became the first African-American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. Barack Obama, 2008, the election of the first black president of the United States. Kamala Harris, 2021, the inauguration of the first woman, first African-American, and first South Asian American vice presidents. Notable figures often highlighted include Dr. Charles Drew, a surgeon who pioneered methods for storing blood plasma for transfusion. Madam C.J. Walker, the first female self-made millionaire in America who built a hair care empire. And Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress in 1968 and the first to run for a major party's presidential nomination in 1972. Bessie Coleman, the first black woman and Native American to hold a pilot slices. Bernard Harris, February 9, 1995, the first African American to perform a spacewalk. Those are a few that people that in our history that we can highlight. Throughout African American history, black women have served as the fundamental backbone of social, political, and cultural movements. Despite facing triple barriers of race, gender, and class, they consistently acted as bridges, leaders, and grassroots organizers, often without receiving the national recognition afforded to their male counterparts. Key historical roles include abolition and freedom. During enslavement, women were crucial facilitators of resistance, providing food and information for runaways. Figures like Harriet Tubman personally led dozens of freedom, dozens to freedom via the Underground Railroad and served as a scout and spy during the Civil War. During the Civil Rights Movement, black women were the primary organizers of the modern movement. These people included Ella Baker, who mentored student activists and co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, also known as SNCC, Fannie Lou Hamer, who was a co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to fight the systematic disenfranchisement of African Americans. Rosa Parks and Claudette Coven sparked the Montgomery bus boycotts through acts of civil disobedience. In the area of education and reform, in the late 19th century, the club movement, whose motto was lifting as we climb, focused on racial uplift through health, sanitation, and education. Mary McLeod Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women and established what became Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. In the areas of political trailblazing, women like Shirley Chisholm broke national bears as the first black woman in Congress in 1968 and the first to seek a Mary Gippardi presidential nomination in 1972. More recently, Kamala Harris became the first black woman vice president in 2021. In the areas of science and renovation, black women have been essential to technological progress. Catherine Johnson performed critical calculations for NASA's spaceflight programs, while inventors like Marie Van Britten Brown, who invented the home security system, and Lisa Gulver, who presented or created GIF technology, which we see on our phones, in our computers, in everyday roles throughout the United States and throughout the world. Other foundational figures included Sojourner Truth, who is an abolitionist and women's rights advocate. Ida B. Wells, an investigative journalist who led an anti-lenching crusade. Madam C.J. Walker, who's been mentioned earlier, is an entrepreneur and the first self-made black female millionaire. Paulie Murray, who's a legal scholar whose work laid the foundation for civil rights litigation, and Diane Nash, a key leader in Nashville sit-ins and freedom rides. African Americans have had a profound impact on sports, using the arena not only to achieve athletic excellence, but also to drive significant social change and break down racial barriers. Their contributions range from pioneering individual achievements to dominating entire professional leagues. Some of the historical trailblazers include Jackie Robinson, who broke the modern era, broke the modern era Major League Baseball color barrier on April 15, 1947, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers and enduring hostile racism with grace and excellence. Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a historical performance that directly countered the Nazi ideology of racial superiority. Althea Gibson, who became the first African-American to win a Grand Slam title at the French Open Championships in 1956, and later became the first African-American woman to join the LPGA tour. Jack Johnson, who was the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion, winning the title in 1908 despite being denied a shot for years. Wilma Rudolph, who overcame polio as a child, to become the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics at the 1960 Rome Games, inspiring generations of female athletes. Arthur Ash, who was the first African-American man to win a Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in 1968 and Wilmelton in 1975, and also was a dedicated civil rights and public health advocate. Bill Russell, who became the first African-American head coach in the NBA in 1966 while still playing for the Boston Celtics and led his teams to 11 championships. Modern icons and ongoing influence in American sports include Michael Jordan. Widely considered one of the greatest athletes ever, he led the Chicago Bulls to six championships and helped transform the NBA into a global entertainment giant. Serena and Venus Williams revolutionized women's tennis with their powerful and aggressive style, winning numerous Grand Slam titles and inspiring countless minorities to pursue sports that were once predominantly white. Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history, renowned for her athleticism and for using her platform to advocate for mental health awareness in sports. And in various leagues, African Americans currently comprise a significant majority of professional athletes in the NBA and the NFL, showcasing their dominant presence in these sports. From shattering color barriers to becoming global icons, African American athletes have consistently pushed boundaries, exceeded expectations, and used their platforms to fight for justice and equality both on and off the field. It has truly been a pleasure to be a part of this segment of Native Drums. I would like to personally thank Dr. Ralph W. Canty and the Savannah Grove family for this opportunity. Until our next segment, this is Daryl Page saying thank you and God bless.