Origins of Black History Month

ORIGINS OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH

adapted from the @saintsbhm2022 instagram

Carter G. Woodson

Woodson created “Negro History Week” in 1926 and, because of that, we have him to thank for Black History Month as we know it today.

Born in 1875 to poor and illiterate former slaves, Woodson was truly a self-made man. He first started full-time school at the age of 20 in 1895. By 1912, he had earned two degrees from the University of Chicago and a doctorate from Harvard University. He taught in public schools and eventually became the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.

Seeing a need for more people to study Black History, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.