SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
ORLANDO — The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), Central Florida Dorothy Turner Johnson Branch recently held its Founder’s Day celebration. Nearly 100 guests attended this event. Founded on September 17, 1915, ASALH was the vision of historian, author, publisher, and Father of Black History Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Dr. Woodson earned a Ph. D. from Harvard, was the editor of the Journal of Negro History, publisher of the Black History Bulletin, and author of the Miseducation of the Negro. Among his other accomplishments, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week in 1926. Fifty years later, the week expanded to include the entire month of February, known as Black History Month. Today, ASALH members work year-round to promote, research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information about Black life, history, and culture to the global community.
In 2002, resident Dorothy T. Johnson brought together a group of dedicated Central Floridians to establish The Central Florida Branch of ASALH. On September 28, 2017, the branch was chartered as the Dorothy Turner Johnson Branch. Born in Dublin, Georgia, on January 18, 1915, Dorothy Turner Johnson made history when she enlisted in the United States Army (1942-1945) and became a member of the famous “Six Triple Eight” battalion, the only all-African American Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps to serve overseas in World War II. The battalion was renamed the Women’s Army Corp (WAC). Their task was to help deliver millions of letters to the troops. They were recently awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their war efforts. One of the first 300 residents of Celebration, Florida, and a longtime resident of Central Florida, Dorothy Turner Johnson lived to be 100 years old, leaving her mark as a lover of the arts, advocate for reading, storyteller, educator, librarian, and friend.
In celebrating the entire history of African Americans, ASALH dedicated its 98th Annual Black History theme to African Americans and the arts. The Association will put into the national spotlight the richness of the past and present with an eye toward what the rest of the twenty-first century will bring. The Founder’s Day Celebration partnered with The Puzzled Peace Initiative created and led by Mrs. Valada Flewellyn, ASALH Historian.
The initiative expresses the community’s collective puzzlement about why teaching African American history and an Advanced Placement course on African American studies have been removed from the public school curriculum in Florida. This year Florida’s Department of Education also implemented new laws that subsequently led to local school districts banning more than 300 books. The event included nine local artists: Donnell Adams, Linda Mills Alexander, Nicholas Gantz, Toya Flewellyn, Joy Hayes, Brittany Jones, Patrick Noze, Nicole Persley (COL-e), and Jane Turner. All artistically expressed their puzzlement over the issue. Manuel Jones, President of ASALH Central Florida—Dorothy Turner Johnson Branch said, “Puzzled Peace was a fantastic program. The many partnerships, the puzzles from the community and the artist came together for a very innovative event. The connection of being puzzled as communities and how we find peace as individuals is a concern in our society.”
Central Florida has a rich history of black people, their struggles, and triumphs. Dr. Woodson once said, “We have a wonderful history behind us…If you are unable to demonstrate to the world that you have this record, the world will say to you, ‘You are not worthy to enjoy the blessings of democracy or anything else.’” Excluding black history is indeed a puzzling issue. History should leave no one and no story out. Consider joining ASALH to assist the association in unearthing, preserving, and telling these stories.
On Sunday, October 13, 2024, The Dorothy Turner Johnson Branch of ASALH will host an Author’s Salon at the Winter Park Library, featuring Dr. Ruth Edwards, author of “Becoming A Black Women”.
Save the Date, February 1, 2025, at 9:30 am for annual Black History Month Breakfast, at Shiloh Baptist Church in Orlando.
For more information, go to the ASALH Central Florida—Dorothy Turner Johnson Branch website at http://www.asalhdtj.org and the Puzzled Peace website at www.puzzledpeace.weebly.com.
