01/02/2022
Carter Godwin Woodson was born on December 19, 1875 in New Canton, Virginia to former slaves. Due to having to work on his families farm Woodson was unable to attend primary school (elementary school) as a young boy but was able to learn most school subjects through self-learning. At the age of 17 Woodson followed his brother Robert Henry to Huntington, West Virginia where he hoped to attend Douglass High School, a high school set up for African Americans. However, Woodson was forced to put off pursuing an education to work in the local coal mines. In 1895 Woodson was able to finally enter Douglass High school as a fulltime student where Woodson was eventually able to get his high school diploma in 1897.
Between the years 1901-1903 Woodson attended Berea College in Kentucky where he would earn his Bachelors Degree in Literature. Later in 1908 Woodson attended the University of Chicago where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree. In 1912 Woodson completed his PhD in history at Harvard University, Woodson became the second African American (the first was W. E. B. Du Bois) to earn a doctoral, Woodson is the only African American who's parents were former slaves to obtain a PhD. After earning his degree Woodson continued to teach in public schools since no university was willing to hire him, Woodson would become the principle of the all-Black Armstrong Manual Training School in Washington D.C. Woodson later became a professor at Howard University, and served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Woodson began to believe the American Historical Association (AHA) had no interest in Black history, due to him being a dues-paying member but was unable to attend AHA conferences. Woodson would become convinced that he had no future in the white-dominated historical profession, and to work as a black historian he would have to create an institution that would make it possible for Black scholars to study history. Woodson however, lacked the funds to due this and turned to philanthropist institutions like Carnegie Foundation, the Julius Rosenwald Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Woodson realized the need for research into African American history after he became convinced the role of African Americans and other cultures were being ignored in American History. On September 9, 1915 in Chicago, along with William D Hartgrove, George Cleveland Hall, Alexander L. Jackson, and James E. Stamps, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Woodson described his purpose was "to treat the records scientifically and to publish the findings of the world". That year Woodson published his first book "The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861" (Woodson would publish a total of 47 books).
Woodson believed that history belonged to everyone, not just historians, because of this Woodson worked to engage Black civic leaders, high school teachers, clergymen, women's groups and fraternal associations. In January 1916, Woodson began the publication of the scholarly Journal of Negro History which has never missed an issue since (in 2002 it was renamed the Journal of African American History and continues to be published). On January 28, 1915, Woodson became affiliated with the Washington D.C. branch of the NAACP but due to differences of opinion with its chairman Archibald Grimke, Woodson would end his affiliation with the NAACP.
After the NAACP Woodson would devote the rest of his life to historical research. Woodson noted that the African-American contributions "were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who used them. The 1920's were a time of rising Black self-consciousness seen through movements such as the Harlem Renaissance, in this atmosphere Woodson was seen as one of the most important figures in the African American community. Woodson wrote that he wanted "the world to see the Negro as a participant rather than as a lay figure in history".
In 1926, Woodson created "Negro History Week" which celebrated the history of African Americans. "Negro History Week" was designated for the second week in February, to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The week was celebrated with parades, breakfasts, speeches, lectures, poetry, banquets and exhibits. On February 1, 1970, African American students and teachers at Kent State University expanded this idea for the entire month of February. Since 1976 every US president has designated February as Black History Month and Woodson is credited with being the "father of Black History".
On April 3, 1950, at the age of 74 Woodson would suddenly die from a heart attack in his home office in the Shaw Washington D.C. neighborhood. Woodson is buried at the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Suitland, Maryland.
