On May 16, 1881, the intellectual foundation for African American scholarly advancement was laid with the founding of the American Negro Academy in Washington, D.C. While the group would not formalize its operations until 1897 under Alexander Crummell, key preliminary discussions and gatherings began on this day. The Academy was committed to promoting literature, science, and art among African Americans. It rejected racist scholarship and offered an elite intellectual counter to prevailing white supremacist narratives. The Academy nurtured thinkers like W.E.B. Du Bois and Carter G. Woodson and inspired similar movements in Africa and the Caribbean, affirming the transnational Black intellectual tradition.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
