The Father of Black History Month, Carter G. Woodson, was born in1875 near New Canton VA. He was the son of former slaves. In 1907, he obtained his B.A. degree from the University of Chicago. In 1912, he received his Ph.D. from Harvard University.
In 1915, he and friends established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. A year later, the Journal of Negro History, began quarterly publication. In 1926, Woodson proposed and launched the annual February observance of Negro History Week, which became Black History Month in 1976. It is said that he chose February for the observance because February 12th was Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and February 14th was the accepted birthday of Frederick Douglass.
Dr. Woodson was the founder of Associated Publishers, the founder and editor of the Negro History Bulletin, and the author of more than 30 books. His best known publication is The Mis-Education of the Negro, originally published in 1933 and still pertinent today.
He died in 1950, but Dr. Woodson’s scholarly legacy goes on.
Dr. Cater G. Woodson African American Museum. About Us | Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum. http://www.woodsonmuseum.org/about-us (accessed February 1, 2017).