As we commemorate Black History Month, it's an ideal time to pay tribute to the life and career of historian Carter G. Woodson, who is often cited as the creator of the field of African-American History. Woodson, who passed away in 1950, did not live to see the great achievements of the Civil Rights Movement, but his groundbreaking work inspired many and led to the creation of Black History Month.Woodson promoted the week of February 7, 1926 as the first Negro History Week, as it would include the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Woodson's hope was that young African Americans would celebrate the accomplishments of their ancestors.
Over the years the tradition developed of observing Negro History Week. And during America's bicentennial celebrations in 1976 the idea was expanded to Black History Month, which was made official by President Jimmy Carter in 1978.
Illustration: Historian Carter G. Woodson/Getty Images
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