Carter G. Woodson launched The Journal of Negro History in January 1916 in Washington, D.C. Jesse E. Moorland co-founded the publication to fill a gap in American publishing for African-American history.
The journal changed its name from The Journal of Negro History to The Journal of African American History in 2001. This update reflected evolving language choices within the academic community and broader society while preserving the core mission established by Woodson.
W. E. B. Du Bois contributed early articles alongside John Hope Franklin and Benjamin Quarles during the formative years. Marion Thompson Wright also published work on blacks in New Jersey after earning her doctoral degree in history.
Female authors contributed nine percent of articles published in The Journal of Negro History compared to only three percent elsewhere. This percentage remained significantly higher than other notable journals like Mississippi Valley Historical Review during the 1900s.
University of Chicago Press began publishing the journal in 2018 under a deal signed by editor V. P. Franklin. Bertis English became editor in December 2023 after years of service to Alabama State University.