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Megan Eisenhower Black History Month Essay Contest 15 February 2013

Dr. Carter G. Woodson: The Father of Black History One of the most well-known celebrations of African-American culture occurs annually during February when Black History Month is celebrated. However, many do not know the creator of this holiday. Dr. Carter G. Woodson made a multitude of contributions to AfricanAmerican history, especially in the development of literature. For these contributions Dr. Woodson has been deemed the Father of Black History. Dr. Carter G. Woodson was born on December 19, 1875 to parents that were slaves. Like most African-Americans at the time, his family lived in extreme poverty, forcing him to work in the coal mines of West Virginia from a very young age. It was only in 1895, at the age of twenty, when Woodson was able to begin attending high school at one of the few high schools for African-American students (CARTER G. WOODSON Father Of BLACK HISTORY). The scholar completed his coursework in record time; within just two years Woodson received his diploma (Woodson, Carter G. (Godwin)). Woodson continued on his educational journey at Berea College for a mere nine months until he was forced to return to the coal mines. However, this did not stop his determination to finish his schooling. When not in the mine shafts, Woodson would spend his time studying Latin and Greek. Eventually Woodson had earned enough money to return to school and chose to attend the University of Chicago where he not only completed his bachelors degree but his masters degree as well (CARTER G. WOODSON Father Of BLACK HISTORY). In 1912 he

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graduated from Harvard University with a Ph.D. in History (King). He is the only individual in history to be of slave parentage and receive a doctorates degree in this field (Dagbovie). Woodson struggled to fit in in this predominantly white society of higher education. He wanted to teach at Harvard while working on his doctorates degree to pay for his tuition, however, he was not allowed to do so because of his race. This discrimination did not stop Woodson from teaching. Instead, he taught at Howard University, the local college for African-American students in the Massachusetts area. While teaching, Woodson was also confronted with another form of prejudice. He noticed the materials he was teaching were all written from the point of view of White scholars. Not a single source of literature from an African-American author was being used for teaching, nor was AfricanAmericans featured in the works of their white counterparts. It was almost as if AfricanAmericans did not exist, or at the very least made no contribution to any part of American history (Woodson, Carter G. (Godwin)). Woodson was determined to rewrite history, only this time it would include accounts from his ancestors. For the next forty years of his life, Woodson spent every bit of his time, not even taking time out to get married, uncovering the facts of African-American contributions in history (CARTER G. WOODSON Father Of BLACK HISTORY). In 1915 he cofounded the Association for the Study of Negro (renamed Afro-American) Life and History, otherwise known as the ASNLH (Woodson, Carter G. (Godwin)). The ASNLHs goal was to promote literature written about African-American culture. Most impressively, this organization was funded solely by Woodson himself. He did not want white people to contribute money to his efforts for fear of receiving sympathy rather than respect. Instead of accepting offers from

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philanthropists Woodson funded the ASNLH with the $5,000 a year he made teaching (CARTER G. WOODSON Father Of BLACK HISTORY). Book clubs were established in African-American communities to further spread this knowledge thanks to the ASNLH. In the beginning of the 1920s, the ASNLH established the Associated Publishers, which produced the works of African-Americans of all ages and educations including the writings from doctors and even young students (Woodson, Carter G. (Godwin)). The first two articles pertaining to African-American history created for education purposes were published by the ASNLH; The Journal of Negro History was written for students and The Negro History Bulletin was produced to aid teachers teaching in elementary and secondary schools (King). Woodson made his own contributions to the ASNLHs Associated Publishers. He wrote over twenty books that covered a vast range of African-American history including timelines, poems, and journal articles. Woodsons most famous book was The Negro in Our History and was used as a textbook in both colleges and high schools. His other popular book, The MisEducation of the Negro, focused on his ideas on the waste of the potential of African-Americans; he believed that the oppression faced by his race prohibited them from achieving their full potential (Woodson, Carter G. (Godwin)). Woodson himself faced negative critics when seeking approval of his work: "When I arrived in Washington, D.C., in 1909 and began my research," he said late, "the people there laughed at me and especially at my 'hayseed' clothes. At that time I didn't have enough money to pay for a haircut. When I, in my poverty, had the 'audacity' to write a book on the Negro, the 'scholarly' people of Washington laughed at it (CARTER G. WOODSON Father Of BLACK HISTORY)."

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Even after making these contributions in the field of literacy, Woodson still did not believe it was not enough. Although he was leading the crusade to include African-Americans in United States history, he believed that there needed to be a way to promote this work to a larger audience. He had already faced much ridicule for pioneering the ASNLH, but was determined to continue to spread awareness for his cause (CARTER G. WOODSON Father Of BLACK HISTORY). In 1926 Woodson, along with the help of the ASNLH, created the first Negro History Week, a celebration that would later be transformed into Black History Month. Other weeks were already in place to bring about awareness to the public, such as Education Week and Music Week and Woodson believed the addition of Negro History Week would be equally successful (Reddick and Hughes). He planned the event to be held during the second week in February in order to include both Frederick Douglass and Abe Lincolns birthdays to commemorate their contribution to the fight for equality for African-Americans. Woodson was quite pleased with what a success his event had become. According to him, Negro History Week was, one of the most fortunate steps ever taken by the Association (Reddick and Hughes). It is for this contribution to African-American culture that Woodson has been labeled the Father of Black History (Woodson, Carter G. (Godwin)). In this same year he was given the NAACPs Spingarn Medal (Dagbovie). Woodson made an incredible impact on the spread of African-American history. By founding the ASNLH, Woodson laid the groundwork for other African-American scholars to also be able to contribute to the addition of African-American culture to the history books. For dedicating the majority of his life to this cause, Woodson has earned the title of the Father of Black History.

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Works Cited

CARTER G. WOODSON Father Of BLACK HISTORY. Vol. 59. 2004. Web. 22 February 2013. Dagbovie, Pero Gaglo. "Making Black History Practical and Popular: Carter G. Woodson, the Proto Black Studies Movement and the Struggle for Black Liberation." Western Journal of Black Studies. Vol. 27. 4. Winter 2003. 263-274. Article. 15 February 2013. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.hacc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4bf7bdf980b1-4bf5-b8a5-849efb97dbaf%40sessionmgr13&vid=9&hid=22>. King, LaGarrett J., Ryan M. Crowley, and Anthony L. Brown. "The Forgotten Legacy of Carter G. Woodson: Contributions to Multicultural Social Studies and African American History." Social Studies. Vol. 101. 5. August 2010. 211-215. 15 February 2013. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.hacc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=9&sid=8db89f2e-a2a74d0e-b1c6978c10fc811e%40sessionmgr12&hid=22&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3 d#db=aph&AN=53004483>. Reddick, L.D. and Langston Hughes. "Twenty-five Negro History Weeks." Black History Bulletin. Vol. 65. 1/2. Silver Spring: Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, January-June 2002. Journal. 15 February 2013. <https://ezproxy.hacc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.hacc.edu/docvie w/233509158?accountid=11302>. "Woodson, Carter G. (Godwin)." African-American Writers: A Dictionary. Santa Barbara: Credo Reference, 2 September 2008. 15 February 2013. <<http://www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.hacc.edu/entry/abcaframwr/woodson_carter_ g_godwin>.>.