Carter G. Woodson

Carter Woodson loved to learn.

His parents were once slaves. They worked hard to be free. Carter worked in coal mines too. He wanted to go to school.

He studied very hard. He became a great teacher. He even earned a big degree.

Carter saw that some stories were missing. He wanted to write the true past. He started a special group. This group helped people study history.

He also started a special week. This week helped people learn. It grew into Black History Month.

His books help us learn today. He was a very brave man.

Carter G. Woodson was a great historian.

He was born in Virginia in 1875. His parents were former slaves. Carter worked in coal mines to help his family. This left little time for school. He taught himself many subjects. Later, he earned a PhD from Harvard University. He was the second Black person to do this.

Woodson saw a big problem. History books often left out Black people. He felt their stories were ignored. To fix this, he started a group in 1915. It is now called the ASALH. This group helps people study Black history. He also started a journal in 1916. It is still published today.

In 1926, Woodson started Negro History Week. This was the start of Black History Month. He wanted everyone to know the truth. He believed history belongs to everyone. He worked hard to teach the world.

Woodson died in 1950. His work still helps us learn.

Carter Godwin Woodson was a famous American historian and author.

He is often called the "father of Black history." This is because he worked hard to show how important Black people were to the world. He wanted to make sure their stories were not forgotten or ignored. Woodson believed that history should belong to everyone. He spent his life researching the past to find the truth. His work helped change how people think about history today.

Woodson's life was full of hard work and learning.

He was born in Virginia in 1875 to parents who were former slaves. Because his family was very poor, he could not always go to school. He worked in coal mines in West Virginia to help his family. He also had to work on a farm. He taught himself many school subjects at home. Later, he went to school full-time and earned a diploma in 1897.

He continued to study and became a very successful scholar. Woodson attended Berea College in Kentucky and earned a degree in 1903. He even worked as a school supervisor in the Philippines for a short time. Later, he studied at the University of Chicago. In 1912, he earned a PhD in history from Harvard University. He was only the second African American to earn a doctorate there. He was also the only person with parents who had been enslaved to earn a PhD in history.

Woodson knew that many history books left out the stories of Black people.

To fix this, he helped start a group in 1915. This group is now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He also started a magazine called The Journal of Negro History in 1916. This journal has been published without missing an issue for a very long time. In 1926, he started "Negro History Week." This special week eventually became the Black History Month we celebrate today.

Many people still remember Woodson for his great courage and ideas. He taught at places like Howard University and West Virginia State University. He wrote many books, such as "The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861." He wanted to train a new generation of researchers to study the past. Even when things were difficult, he kept writing and speaking to people. His goal was to make sure Black history was part of the whole world's story. Today, his memorial stands in Washington, D.C., to honor his life.

Carter Godwin Woodson was a prominent American historian, author, and journalist.

He is widely recognized as the "father of Black history." Woodson was a pioneer in studying the history of the Black African diaspora in the United States. He believed that the history of people of Sub-Saharan African descent should be central to the study of the human experience. This perspective is a key part of a movement known as Afrocentrism. Through his research and leadership, he worked to ensure that African American contributions were not ignored or suppressed by mainstream scholars.

Woodson's early life was defined by significant hardship and perseverance. He was born on December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. His parents, Anna Eliza and James Henry Woodson, were former slaves. Because his family was extremely poor, Woodson could not attend school regularly. He spent much of his youth working on the family farm. He also worked in the coal mines near the New River in southern West Virginia.

To overcome these obstacles, he used a mixture of self-instruction and lessons from his uncles. He finally entered Douglass High School full-time at age twenty and earned his diploma in 1897.

His academic journey led him to remarkable heights. After teaching in West Virginia, he attended Berea College in Kentucky and earned a bachelor's degree in 1903. He later served as a school supervisor in the Philippines. Woodson then attended the University of Chicago, earning an A.B. and an A.M. in 1908. In 1912, he completed his PhD in history at Harvard University. He was only the second African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard. Notably, he was the only person with parents who had been enslaved in the United States to earn a PhD in history.

Despite his achievements, Woodson faced intense exclusion from the white-dominated academic profession. He noted that the American Historical Association (AHA) did not allow him to attend their conferences. He realized that Black historians needed their own institutional structures to succeed. To fund these efforts, he sought help from philanthropic organizations. These included the Carnegie Foundation, the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He understood that without these structures, Black scholarship would remain marginalized.

On September 9, 1915, Woodson helped found the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASLNH) in Chicago. This group is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). He worked alongside others like William D. Hartgrove and George Cleveland Hall. In January 1916, he launched The Journal of Negro History. This scholarly journal has been published without interruption, even through the Great Depression and two World Wars. In 2002, the journal was renamed the Journal of African American History.

Woodson was a prolific author who published many important works. His books included "The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861" and "A Century of Negro Migration" in 1918. He also wrote "The History of the Negro Church" in 1927. In 1924, he published the first study regarding free Black slave owners of 1830 in the United States. In February 1926, he launched "Negro History Week." This initiative served as the direct precursor to the modern celebration of Black History Month.

His work aimed to change how society viewed race and tradition. Woodson argued that race prejudice was the result of instruction that suggested Black people had not contributed to human progress. He wanted to train a new generation of researchers in scientific methodology. He engaged with civic leaders, teachers, and clergy to spread historical knowledge. He believed that history belonged to everyone, not just professional historians. His legacy continues to shape how the world understands the African diaspora.

Today, Woodson's impact is still visible in academic and social institutions.

His memorial stands in Washington, D.C., to honor his life and work. He remains a vital figure for those studying the intersections of history, education, and social justice. By creating spaces for Black scholarship, he helped ensure that the past would be recorded accurately for future generations.