Carter G. Woodson was a historian, a journalist, and an author whose dedication towards celebrating historic black excellence led to the annual celebration of Black History Month since February 1976.
Woodson was born on December 19, 1875 in New Canton, VA to former slaves. In his younger years, Woodson had to put off schooling in order to help out around his family’s farm, and later to work in the coal mines of West Virginia. Despite this schooling irregularity, Woodson would still be able to master most of his school subjects through his own self-instruction. At 17-years-old, Woodson would follow his older brother to West Virginia in hopes of attending a secondary school for African Americans, Douglas High School. Woodson wouldn’t be able to enter the high school until 1895 when he was 20-years-old due to being forced to work in the coal mines. He would graduate and receive his diploma to years later in 1897. From there he would teach at a school in Winona, VA until 1900 where he would become the new principal of Douglas High School.
During his time as principal, Woodson would earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Literature at the Berea College in Kentucky. In 1903, Woodson went to the Philippines, a newly added American Territory, a serve as a school supervisor until 1907. By 1912, Woodson would earn his PhD in history at Harvard University, only the second African American to earn their doctorate after W.E.B. Du Bois. Woodson would continue to teach in public schools until he would later be offered a position at Howard University. In his time there, he would go from a professor to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
After feeling that the American Historical Association (AHA) did not value nor had interest in black history, Woodson would be barred from attending these conferences despite being a paying member. With other Black scholars such as James E. Stamps and George Cleveland Hall, Woodson would found the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in September 1915. Their purpose was “to treat the records scientifically and to publish the findings of the world.” That same year, Woodson would publish his first book, The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861, a culturally impactful book about the thorough history of the education of people of color in the United States. He would go on to publish a few more books because Woodson believed that history belonged to everybody and not just historians. He would actively sought out to engage in Black civic leaders, teachers, women’s groups and more in order to improve his project of understanding African American history.
In 1916, Woodson began the publication of the Journal of Negro History, am academic journal covering African American life and history. It has never missed an issue and still continues its publication today by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) under the new name of Journal of African American History.
In 1926, Woodson would promote the first Negro History Week during the second week of February, the same week of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass’ birthday. His concept would later be expanded into what we know as Black History Month, an annual celebration since its implementation in February 1976.