Carter G.woodson was a scholar whose dedication to celebrating the historic contributions of black people led to the establishment of Black History Month, marked every February since 1976. Woodson fervently believed that black people should be proud of their heritage and all Americans should understand the largely overlooked achievements of Black Americans. Woodson overcame early obstacles to become a prominent historian and author of several notable books on Black Americans. Born in 1875 to illiterate parents who were former slaves, Woodson’s schooling was inconsistent. He helped out on the family farm when he was younger and as a teen he worked in the coal mines of West Virginia to help support his father’s meager income. Hungry for an education, he was largely self-taught and had mastered common school subjects by the age of 17.
Entering high school at the age of 20, Woodson completed his diploma in less than two years. Woodson worked as a teacher and a school principal before obtaining a bachelor’s degree in literature from Berea College in Kentucky. After graduating from college, he became a school supervisor in the Philippines and later traveled throughout Europe and Asia. In addition to earning a master’s degree from the University of Chicago, he became the second Black American, after W.E.B. Du Bois, to obtain a Phd. from Harvard University. He joined the faculty of Howard University, eventually serving as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. After being barred from attending American Historical Association conferences despite being a dues-paying member ,Woodson believed that the white-dominated historical profession had little interest in Black history. He saw African American contributions as: ” overlooked, ignored and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them.”
Woodson died suddenly from a heart attack in the office within his home in the Shaw, Washington, D.C., neighborhood on April 3, 1950, at the age of 74. He is buried at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Suitland, Maryland.The time that schools have set aside each year to focus on African-American history is Woodson’s most visible legacy. His determination to further the recognition of the Black race in American and world history, however, inspired countless other scholars. Woodson remained focused on his work throughout his life. Many see him as a man of vision and understanding. Although Woodson was among the ranks of the educated few, he did not feel particularly sentimental about elite educational institutions. The Association and journal that he started are still operating, and both have earned intellectual respect. His legacy lives on every February when schools across the nation study Black American history, empowering Black Americans and educating others on the achievements of Black Americans.
