Carter G. Woodson and the Development of Black History Month
Carter G. Woodson, often hailed as the "Father of Black History," was a pioneering African American historian, author, and journalist. Born in 1875, he dedicated his life to illuminating the rich history and achievements of African Americans. During the dawning of the twentieth century, it was widely presumed that people of African descent had little history besides the subjugation of slavery. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915, advocating for the recognition of African American history in education. The Association provided an outlet for black scholars and a way to publish their research through the organization’s Journal of Negro History and the Negro History Bulletin.
Woodson's efforts led to the establishment of Negro History Week in 1926, later evolving into Black History Month. According to the New York Times,
“ He chose February because it was the month in which both Lincoln and Douglass were born. After Lincoln’s assassination, his birthday, on Feb. 12, had been celebrated by Black Americans and Republicans. Dr. Woodson saw Negro History Week as a way to expand the celebration of these two men and encourage Americans to study the little-known history of an entire people” 1
His seminal work, The Mis-Education of the Negro published in 1933 critiqued the biased portrayal of Black history in American schools.
“Mis-Education criticizes the system and explains the vicious circle that results from mis-educated individuals graduating, then proceeding to teach and mis-educate others. But the book is by no means a study in negation. The author goes to great lengths in tracing the historical foundations of the problem, its development, and its influence on interpersonal relations and historical scholarship. Numerous other scholars now follow its example.”2
Carter G. Woodson was the son of formerly enslaved people. He worked in coal mines, became a high school teacher, and received his master’s degree from the University of Chicago in 1908. Here Woodson became a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. His involvement reflected his commitment to fostering community and support within Black professional and academic circles. In 1912, Woodson was the second African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University, a significant milestone during a time when opportunities for African Americans in higher education were extremely limited.
Carter G. Woodson’s legacy endures as an influential figure in promoting the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the contributions of African Americans to the United States.
“Real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better.” – Carter G. Woodson
Comments
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Black History Month is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. When Dr. Carter G. Woodson wrote “not to know what one’s race has done in former times is to continue always as a child” (April, 1926), he was imagining the value of education to broaden and deepen the self concept of the progeny of the African in America, a country whose constraining institutions rendered their children (us) nearly helpless in their ignorance of self. Their goals for the week--he did not work in isolation--read a lot like our demands in the movement to honor Black Lives at School (BLM@School). This is such an important conversation…
Woodson, C.G. (1926) “Negro History Week.” The Journal of Negro History, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 238–242. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2714171
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