In 1926, Carter G. Woodson established “Negro History Week” as a celebration of African American history. Each year there was a theme that explored historical issues, bringing the Black experience to the public eye. Continuing this tradition, every year the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) creates a Black History Month theme that “explores historical issues of importance to people of African descent and race relations in America.”
This year the theme is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.” “Its representation, identity, and diversity have been reverenced, stereotyped, and vilified from the days of slavery to our own time.” Each Wednesday this month, the Program in African American History (PAAH) will share an image of a Black family from our collections, recognizing their struggles in keeping their families together, their passion in keeping traditions & the love they had for one another.
We begin with this photograph of an African American middle-class family from 1936. The image depicts several generations in front of a Christmas tree.
-Jasmine Smith, African American History Subject Specialist and Reference Librarian










