Carter G. Woodson

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CARTER G. WOODSON
"We have a wonderful history behind us...." Carter G. Woodson

Origins of Black History Month
In 1926, Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week. The goal was to "popularize the truth...[we] are not interested so much in Negro History as in history influenced by the Negro." Dr. Woodson, considered by many to be the "Father of Black History," chose the second week in February because of the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln. The celebration of Negro History Week continued; however, in the early 1960s the word "Negro" was replaced with "black" and "African American." The week of celebration was then call "Black History Week." In 1976 America celebrated its Bicentennial, at this time, Black History Week became the celebration that we know as "Black History Month."

Each year, most North American cities celebrate Black History Month. This period of the year provides an opportunity to acknowledge the historical, political, social, cultural and economic contributions of people of African origin throughout the world.

Black History Month is mostly due to an outstanding individual of American history: Carter G. Woodson. Born in 1875 in Virginia, he was the son of former slaves. The eldest of nine children, he began working at an early age to help his family. Guided by a constant thirst for knowledge, he kept up his self-taught education until he was able to enter high school at twenty. He went on to Berea College in Kentucky, then to the University of Chicago and finally earned a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1912.

Carter G. Woodson was best known for his work as a historian and was particularly active in the field of education. He strongly believed in the use of education as an essential means of improving the fate African Americans, and became quite influential in his field. In 1915, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History to which we owe the publication, in 1916, of the Journal of Negro History. It is through this journal that Black historians began to elaborate a new vision of the history of Blacks in America. Almost ten years later, in February 1925, Woodson officially launched the first Black History Week which extended later on to become Black History Month.

Woodson died on April 3rd 1950 in Washington. Due to his everlasting contribution to destroying historical racial stereotypes and to reestablishing human dignity to people of African descent, he has earned the well-deserved title of the «Father of Black history».

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Today, several great Canadian cities such as Halifax,Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver emphasize Black History Month. Of particular interest is the fact that Montreal was the first municipality in Quebec to vote a Resolution recognizing officially the month of February as Black History Month. However, in early 1996, British Columbia presented the Black History Month Bill to the House of Assembly for a first reading. This Bill would recognize the month of February as Black History Month throughout the whole province. The relentless work of Carter G. Woodson has therefore not been in vain. His impact has now crossed the borders.