Dr. Carter G. Woodson - Tumblr Posts

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Ever wonder who decided Black History Month would be in February?

Well, meet Dr. Carter G. Woodson!

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Historian | December 19, 1875–April 3, 1950

“Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

A son of former slaves, Dr. Woodson earned a Ph.D. from Harvard, was a pioneer in the study of African-American history, and was named “The Father of Black History.” 

Back in 1926, Black History Month was celebrated during the second week of February and was known as Negro History Week. In 1976, that week evolved into Black History Month.

So why February? 

Dr. Woodson chose the second week of February in commemoration of the birthdays of abolitionist Frederick Douglass (February 14) and President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery in the southern states (February 12).

Original portrait by Tumblr Creatr @persistheillustrator

“Dr. Carter G. Woodson is known as the creator of Black History Month. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t know about black individuals who helped contribute to the progress of mankind. I wanted my painting to show that he deserves more recognition as a symbol of African-American history.“

-@persistheillustrator