Carter G. Woodson

“The Father of Black History”

By Rashon Pleasants, Wagner College’16”

Quote: “If you can control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one.”

Young and inspired Carter G. Woodson

Buckingham County, Va (where Woodson was born and raised)

Accomplishments-

• In 1915 Woodson began the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.

• In 1926, Woodson received the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Spingarn Medal.

• In 1926, Woodson pioneered the celebration of “Negro History Week“ which eventually became black history month.

Leadership Role- Supporting the Growth of Others was a key role that Woodson used as an advantage to influence others around him. In 1915, Woodson co-found the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (which later became the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History). In 1916, he established the Journal of Negro History, a scholarly publication. Woodson also formed the African-American-owned Associated Publishers Press in 1921, which produced several of his own works, including The Negro in Our History (1922) and Mis-Education of the Negro (1933). In 1926, Woodson pioneered the celebration of “Negro History Week“ which eventually became Black History Month which is still celebrated today.

Criticism- Naive Hope is Carter G. Woodson’s problem at times. Woodson at times was so emotionally empowered to influence African-American education that he would lack general history to back his work up. In the end, Woodson found the solution to every problem, but his initial strategy to spreading knowledge at times was a little “unofficial”.

How does this relate to me?

Carter G, Woodson relates not only to my life because he helps me learn more about Black History. But learning about Woodson helps me due to the fact that now I have a baseline or starting point. Woodson is like a role model to me, and it is funny because we both kind of share the same occupation or at least I aspire to learn more about my cultural history like Woodson did. We also share the same goal, we both want to reform American Education and make it multicultural, thus it will spur more academic influence to learn. Also by theory, multicultural education should help raise more racial respect diverse peoples and less discrimination in America if we all knew each others cultural feats and failures.