African American Hero of the Day

Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950)

Scholar

Carter Godwin Woodson was born December 9, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia. He received a B.Litt. degree from Berea College in 1903, a B.A. and an M.A. in 1907 and 1908 from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912.

Known as the "Father of Modern Black History," Woodson was a passionate exponent of African American economic self-sufficiency. In 1915 Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History). One year later, the organization began publishing the Journal of Negro History. In 1920 he founded Associated Publishers, Inc., and in 1921 he founded the Negro History Bulletin. In 1926 Woodson launched Negro History Week (now Black History Month) to promote the study of African American history.

A historian, author, editor, and teacher, Woodson served as dean of the Howard University School of Liberal Arts and the West Virginia Institute, and he was a Spingarn Medalist. His works include The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 (1915), A Century of Negro Migration (1918), The Negro in Our History (1922), and The Miseducation of the Negro (1933).

In an effort to assure that young people knew their history, Woodson promoted Negro History Week in 1926. It coincided with the birthdays of Booker T. Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Frederick Douglass. To ensure a resource for information, the Negro History Bulletin was started in 1937. Thanks to his efforts, by 1976 Negro History week had evolved into Black History Month. Woodson died on April 3, 1950.

From African American Almanac: 400 Years of Triumph, Courage and Excellence by Lean'tin Bracks, (c) 2012 Visible Ink Press(R). A wealth of milestones, inspiration, and challenges met . . .