Carter G. Woodson

Carter Godwin Woodson was born on December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. The fourth of seven children, young Woodson worked as a sharecropper and a miner to help his family. He began high school in his late teens and was an excellent student. He completed the four-year course of study in less than two years.

After attending Berea College in Kentucky, Woodson worked for the United States government as an education superintendent in the Philippines. Upon his return to the US, Woodson earned his bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Chicago and went on to receive a doctorate from Harvard University in 1912, becoming the second African American to earn a Ph.D. Harvard, after W.E.B. Du Bois. After finishing his education, Woodson dedicated himself to the field of African American history, working to make sure that the subject was taught in schools and studied by scholars.

In 1915, Carter G. Woodson helped found the “Association for the Study of Negro Life and History” (ASNLH), which had the goal of placing African American historical contributions front and center. The next year he established the “Journal of Negro History”, a scholarly publication.

Woodson also formed the African American-owned Associated Publishers Press in 1921 and would go on to write more than a dozen books over the years, including “Mis-Education of the Negro” in 1933. “Mis-Education of the Negro”, with its focus on Western brainwashing and African American self-empowerment, is one of his most noted works and has become regularly adopted by colleges.

In addition to his writing, Woodson also worked in a number of educational positions, serving as a principal for Washington, D.C.'s Armstrong Manual Training School before working as a college dean at Howard University and the West Virginia Collegiate Institute (West Virginia State University).

With the assistance of ASNLH, Woodson lobbied schools and organizations to participate in a special program to encourage the study of African American history, which began in February 1926 with “Negro History Week”. Woodson had chosen February for the weeklong celebration to honor the birth months of Frederick Douglass (February 14) and President Abraham Lincoln (February 12), both of which Black communities had celebrated together since the late 19th century.

From the event's initial phase, the primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of African Americans in public schools. The first Negro History Week was met with a lukewarm response, gaining the cooperation of the Departments of Education of the states of North Carolina, Delaware, and West Virginia as well as the city school administrations of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Woodson regarded this as "one of the most fortunate steps ever taken by the Association," and planed for a repeat of the event on an annual basis.

At the time of Negro History Week's launch, Woodson argued that the teaching of black history was essential to ensure the physical and intellectual survival of the race:

"If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated. The American Indian left no continuous record. He did not appreciate the value of tradition; and where is he today? The Hebrew keenly appreciated the value of tradition, as is attested by the Bible itself. In spite of worldwide persecution, therefore, he is a great factor in our civilization."

In 1929, “The Journal of Negro History" noted that, with only two exceptions, officials with the State Departments of Educations of "every state with considerable Negro population had made the event known to that state's teachers and distributed official literature associated with the event.” Churches also played a significant role in the distribution of literature in association with Negro History Week, aiding in publicity.

Negro History Week was met with enthusiastic response; it prompted the creation of black history clubs, an increase in interest among teachers, and interest from progressive whites. Negro History Week grew in popularity throughout the following decades, with mayors across the United States endorsing it as a holiday.

Carter G. Woodson died on April 3, 1950, a respected and honored figure who received praise for his vision. His legacy continues on, with Black History Month being a national cultural force recognized by a variety of media formats, organizations, and educational institutions.

The expansion of Negro History Week to Black History Month was first proposed by the leaders of the “Black United Students” at Kent State University in February 1969. The first celebration of the Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, in February 1970.

In 1976 as part of the United States Bicentennial, the informal expansion of Negro History Week to Black History Month was officially recognized by the US government. In regards to this being officially recognized by the government, President Gerald Ford urged Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."