The association was founded in Chicago on September 9, 1915,[1] during the National Half Century Exposition and Lincoln Jubilee, as the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) by Carter G. Woodson, William B. Hartgrove, George Cleveland Hall, Alexander L. Jackson, and James E. Stamps,[2] and incorporated in Washington, D.C., on October 2, 1915.
ASALH's official mission is "to promote, research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information about Black life, history, and culture to the global community."
Its official vision is "to be the premier Black Heritage and learned society with a diverse and inclusive membership supported by a strong network of national and international branches to continue the Woodson legacy.
Charles Harris Wesley, one of the organization's early developers, was not pleased with the first convention because more race solvers and educators attended than historians, which is in opposition to ASALH’s vision as an historical research society.
[citation needed] At the convention, ASALH organizes plenary sessions and workshops, facilitates scholarly presentations selected from the "Call for Papers", sponsors a black history tour of famous landmarks in the city, and hosts a youth day for high school students in the area.