The Story of Carter G Woodson
By
John C Abercrombie
Carter G Woodson is a powerful voice in the world of Black History. Born December 19, 1875 to former Slaves, James and Eliza Woodson. Carter was the 4th of 7 children. The family was poor but owned their land. Although they worked their land, they had to take other jobs to make ends meet.
The family had strong beliefs that recognized the value of education. James and Eliza could not read or write but supported their children in the pursuit of education. James worked the family’s 6-acre farm which was located on poor land but was able to product vegetables to feed the large family.
Owning their own land provided many options that were completely out of reach to most Blacks. With their farm they could at least raise vegetables to feed themselves. Father James also earned money working as a carpenter, building foundations for homes.
James was a man of strong principal and did not hire his children out to supplement the family income. Although an ex slave, he considered himself equal and worthy of respect when dealing with others and avoided going to the back door even when dealing with Whites. James Woodson’s principals put Blacks and Whites on equal footing even though this often meant hardships, but he believed that such a life was more honorable than to serve one as a menial.
According to Woodson, his parents moved into the Ohio River area where his father and other ex-slaves helped complete the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. While there the family lost 2 children to whooping cough.
Carter’s father James worked helping Union soldiers during the Civil War and because of his strong belief in the value of education, moved the family to West Virginia after the war because he heard that there was a high school for Black children in Huntington.
Even with a high school available to Blacks, poverty made it difficult to attend because of the need to work to pay for essentials like food, housing and other living expenses. Carter was not able to attend regularly but worked hard to master the fundamentals by self-study. The family was so poor that after he went to bed on Saturday night, his mother washed the family’s clothes, so they would have clean clothes to wear to church on Sunday.
The importance of an education was instilled in young Carter and he credits his father for influencing the course of his life. His father believed strongly that “learning to accept insult, or to compromise on principle, mislead your fellow man, or to betray your people is to lose your soul.” These are principles that strongly influential through out Carter’s life and showed in his prolific work.
Carter Woodson learned much and took to heart the material he was exposed to, such as the story he read that was like the fable of the “Ant and the Grasshopper”. One guy studied his lessons, played sports well, was popular, went to college and enjoyed great success in life. Number 2 did not study, did not play sports well, was not popular and was a failure. Woodson was personally inspired by the story and set his sights on college. This became his dream and there was nothing that could deter him from his dream.
Carter was an independent thinker as shown by the following example. He was an obedient son and often favored by his mother. She held a strong dislike for George Washington because as a slave on the auction box, she had seen a statue of Washington in Richmond with his hand pointing South which she interpreted as supporting the South and all that support of the South represented. Slavery, inequality, cruelty and the dehumanization of human beings. Carter disagreed, believing that Washington had helped create a system of government that made emancipation possible.
At the age of 17, he went to work in the coal mines and studied when possible. While working in the mines, he earned snacks from fellow miners who would treat him for reading newspaper articles to them.
While working in the mines, Woodson was influenced by a Black miner by the name of Jones who he described as mis-educated. Jones was illiterate but collected books and subscribed to many newspapers, and he learned because he had friends read them to him. Woodson had read to his father. By being exposed to the material as he read, Woodson learned much about the outside world. This experience also gave him an appreciation for illiterates whom he held in high regard the rest of his life.
Woodson was also influenced by a White miner who was a devout religious man who bragged about participation in the attacks on four Blacks in Clifton Forge, Virginia. These four men were lynched in 1892 as a representation of people who used religion to support slavery. This experience greatly influenced Woodson’s attacks on Black church leaders with close ties to institutions that promoted segregation. Carter Woodson considered segregation an evil remnant of slavery and viewed it as unchristian.
Despite misgivings about churches and the people who represented themselves as Christians, Woodson continued to be a Christian, and served as a Sunday school teacher and president of the board of deacons in the First Baptist Church in Winona.
In 1985, at the age of 20, he enrolled in High School and earned his diploma in less than 2 years. Later, he became a teacher from 1897 to 1900. In 1900, he became principal. Although he had previously worked as a teacher, he earned a West Virginia teaching certificate with an average score of 91. He gained recognition in local papers when he honored William McKinley following the president’s assassination in 1901. In private life, Woodson continued to read aloud to his father.
Because of his love of learning, he attended Berea College in Kentucky, earning a Bachelor of Literature degree in 1903. From 1903 to 1907, he worked as a school supervisor in the Philippines. With a strong desire for education, he enrolled in the University of Chicago and earned the A.B. and A.M. degrees in 1908. He completed his PhD degree in History from Harvard in 1912.
After earning his PhD degree, he continued to work in Public schools until he went to work at Howard University where he worked as professor and later as Dean of the School of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Woodson believed that history was more than just gathering facts. The reason of historical history was to obtain a reasonable interpretation of the events discovered. He believed history to be more than political facts and military records of people and countries. History must include descriptions and interpretations of the social conditions of the period, location and people being studied.
Although Woodson is often referred to as the father of Negro History Week, he hoped the time would come when it became unnecessary, when all Americans would willingly recognize the contributions of Black people as a legitimate and an integral part of history of this country.
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Carter G Woodson – The man
A Tribute to Dr. Carter G. Woodson Black History for Students | Carter G Woodson Biography | Father of Black History Month Watch this cartoon for students about a man known as the father of Black History. In this educational video for students, Jeremiah takes you back in time to talk about Carter G. Woodson the father of Black History Month.
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The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861
A History of the Education of the Colored People of the United States from the Beginning of Slavery to the Civil War Kindle Edition
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Dr. Greg Kimathi Carr will Kick-Off Black History Month with a Lecture and Tribute to Dr. Carter G. Woodson & the Continuing Challenges of Miseducation.
This program was recorded by Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV).
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10 Things about Dr. Carter G. Woodson – Father of Black History Month
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Carter G Woodson
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In Carter G Woodson, we see a man tough as nails. He had to postpone his schooling to work until he was 18 but he persevered to obtain his Doctorate degree. His story is fascinating! The idea was to study Black History all year long and share what had been learned during the week containing the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Every person should undertake to study all year and share during the month of celebration.