Carter G. Woodson

Historian • Educator • Founder of Black History Month

Era

Progressive Era / Early 20th Century

Role:

Historian / Educator

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The Story

Carter G. Woodson devoted his life to ensuring that Black history would be studied, documented, and taught. Born to formerly enslaved parents, he became a historian, educator, author, and institution builder who challenged the exclusion of Black people from the historical record.

Quick Facts

Born

December 19, 1875

Died

April 3, 1950

Known For

Founding the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, advancing the study of Black history, and establishing Negro History Week, which later became Black History Month.

Life & Legacy Timeline

1875 — Born in Virginia
Born in New Canton, Virginia, to formerly enslaved parents James Henry Woodson and Eliza Riddle Woodson.

1895 — Begins teaching
After completing his early education, Woodson began teaching in schools in West Virginia, beginning a lifelong connection to education.

1903 — Earns a degree from Berea College
Woodson graduated from Berea College in Kentucky, continuing his education while working as an educator.

1908 — Earns master’s degree
He earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Chicago.

1912 — Earns Ph.D. from Harvard
Woodson earned a doctorate in history from Harvard University, becoming the second African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard after W. E. B. Du Bois.

1915 — Founds the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History
Woodson established an organization dedicated to researching, documenting, and promoting the study of Black history.

1916 — Launches The Journal of Negro History
He founded the journal to provide a scholarly home for research on Black history.

1926 — Establishes Negro History Week
Woodson launched Negro History Week as an annual observance designed to encourage the study and teaching of Black history.

1950 — Dies in Washington, D.C.
Woodson died on April 3, 1950, leaving behind institutions and publications that continued his mission.

Legacy

Woodson transformed the study of Black history from a subject often excluded from American scholarship into a field worthy of research, teaching, and preservation. Through institutions, publications, and education, he created a foundation for generations of scholars and communities to continue documenting Black life and history.

A Quote to Remember

“When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions.”

- Carter G. Woodson

Why This Matters

Carter G. Woodson understood that history shapes how people see themselves and how societies understand who belongs in the story. At a time when Black history was routinely excluded or distorted in American education and scholarship, Woodson built institutions and created opportunities for Black history to be researched, documented, taught, and preserved. His work reminds us that preserving history is not simply about looking backward. It is about making sure future generations have access to the knowledge needed to understand where they came from, what they have contributed, and what remains possible.

Sources & Further Reading

Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)

Library of Congress

National Park Service — Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site

Harvard University

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