On This Date in 1926....

"Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history."

This is a quote from the man who is responsible for much of the history of blacks being recorded and preserved; he also dedicated a period of time to the education of blacks about that history. 

The man was Carter G. Woodson, who was responsible for the creation of *Negro History Week. 

Carter Godwin Woodson was born in Buckingham County, VA in December of 1875. The family was poor, so Woodson had to work in the coal mines during his teenage years. He was finally able to attend high school at the age of 20, and graduated in less than 2 years. He then taught high school and studied at home and abroad, until he received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1912. In 1919 he became the dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Howard University, and in 1920 he became the dean of the School of Liberal Arts at what is now West Virginia State College.

Woodson's aim in life was to give the 'Negro' a reason to be proud of himself and who he came from; it was also to inform others of the place that 'Negros' held in the history of this country. (America) He wanted "the world to see the Negro as a participant rather than as a lay figure in history". In order to accomplish this, he organized the first annual Negro History Week, which of course is now Black History Month. He also established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History; founded and edited the Journal of Negro History; and in 1937 founded the Negro History Bulletin periodical, which is still in print as the Black History Bulletin.        

Carter Woodson was also responsible for the publication of many books. Among them are "The Mis-Education of the Negro Prior to 1861", "History of the Negro Church", and "The Rural Negro".

Carter G. Woodson passed away after a heart attack in his home on April 3, 1950. He was 74.

* This post has been corrected to reflect the actual name Woodson chose.

Much of the material for this post is from the African American Registry, a non-profit education organization. Some also came from Google Search, and from the websites of ASNLH and The Black History Bulletin.