Discover the 14 Most Fascinating Fun Facts About Carter G. Woodson: The Father of Black History

1. Author, publisher, and trailblazer

Who says authors can't wear multiple hats? Carter G. Woodson didn't just write the book on Mis-Education, he published it too: Woodson's groundbreaking work, "The Mis-Education of the Negro," was published by none other than Associated Publishers, a company he founded to specifically support and promote black writers and their creative masterpieces.
Source => historyisaweapon.com

2. Neighborhood historian to Black History pioneer

Before Carter G. Woodson became the "Father of Black History," he was probably just known as the neighborhood historian everyone called "Dr. Carter G. Whassup?": In a steadfast endeavor to showcase the contributions of black Americans in forming the great nation, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, ultimately paving the way for the establishment of Black History Month in 1976 as a testament to his visionary efforts.
Source => nps.gov

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=> Fun Facts about Harriet-Tubman

3. Pre-Wakanda Woodson

Before Wakanda, there was Woodson: Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915, which led to the creation of Black History Month and the publication of three scholarly journals on Black life, history, and culture.
Source => jstor.org

4. The original "doctor bomb"

Move over Mr. Boombastic! Carter G. Woodson was the original "doctor bomb": As the second Black American to achieve a Ph.D. from Harvard University, right after W.E.B. Du Bois, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and launched the Journal of Negro History for a proper scientific exploration of Black American life that had been largely overlooked.
Source => naacp.org

5. Renaissance man of journaling

Did you hear about the Renaissance man who was really into journaling? He was all about that paper and ink life: Carter G. Woodson founded the Journal of African American History in 1916, which publishes original scholarly articles on the African-American experience and annually features more than sixty book reviews on African and African-American life and history.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Wooden nickel of African American studies

They say a penny for your thoughts, but Carter G. Woodson's scholarly pursuits were more akin to a wooden nickel: hard to come by, yet incredibly valuable. This history buff extraordinaire: founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) in 1915, started The Journal of Negro History in 1916, and kicked off Negro History Week in 1926, which later evolved into Black History Month. Despite his academic stardom, Woodson juggled financial hurdles and counted on generous philanthropists to keep his scholarly show on the road.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. The shot of wisdom for African American studies

If Carter G. Woodson were a drink, he'd be the shot of wisdom that kick-started the never-ending party of African American studies: Woodson didn't just dabble, he went full-throttle by creating Negro History Week (now Black History Month) and founding institutions such as The Journal of Negro History and The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, all ensuring this vital discipline earned the recognition it deserved.
Source => lib.uchicago.edu

8. Procrastinating his way into awesomeness

This guy put the "late bloomer" theory to shame, procrastinating his way into awesomeness: Carter G. Woodson earned his high school diploma at 22, taught like a boss, then snagged his bachelor's in literature from Berea College and A.B. and A.M. degrees from the University of Chicago. But he didn't stop there! In 1912, Carter wood-son-ed his way to becoming the second African American to land a Ph.D. in history from Harvard, right after W. E. B. Du Bois.
Source => umgc.edu

9. Mixing academic rigor with an enduring mission

Carter G. Woodson, the original master of "sharing is caring" when it came to African American history and culture, managed to mix academic rigor with an enduring mission that never goes out of style: the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) not only started an organization that's still thriving today, but created an annual conference attracting enthusiasts and scholars from far and wide, all eager to carry the torch and showcase the incredible contributions and struggles of black Americans.
Source => woodson.as.virginia.edu

10. John Denver's intellectual muse

If John Denver had written a song about Carter G Woodson's father, it might have gone, "Country roads, take me home, to the bountiful land of log rolling, house raising, and intellectual growth!": In Jackson County, Ohio, Woodson's father lived in a thriving settlement where the black community not only cut their own harvests, constructed their own homes, and took newspapers, but they also read useful books and advanced in intelligence, earning them immense respect and deference from their white neighbors.
Source => gettingword.monticello.org

11. DJ of Black excellence

If Carter G. Woodson were a DJ, he'd be spinning the records of Black excellence, queuing up the tracks for others to groove on down to through the ages: Known as the Father of Black History, Woodson was the second African American to earn a PhD from Harvard and founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915. His prolific publishing paved the way for Black History Month in February, which began as Negro History Week to honor the jams of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
Source => mysticstamp.com

12. Founder of Black History Month

Before he was whipping up a storm in the intellectual kitchen with his history lessons, Carter G. Woodson was prepping a month-long buffet of African American achievements and awesomeness: Woodson, a renowned African American historian, author, and journalist, is the founder of Black History Month, originally launched in 1926 as "Negro History Week," and is celebrated for his tireless devotion to the study and promotion of black history and accomplishments.
Source => ajc.com

13. Lauryn Hill's lyrical inspiration

Talk about hitting the right notes: Lauryn Hill's chart-topping debut album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," owes a lyrical nod to Carter G. Woodson's groundbreaking book "The Mis-Education of the Negro". It may not be the usual mash-up of melody and muse, but Hill credits Woodson's captivating call-to-action on education and self-awareness for setting her steadfast on her musical magnum opus.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

14. OG of Black History

Call him the OG of Black History: Carter G. Woodson was not only the founding father of African-American history, but also the creative mind behind Negro History Week which later evolved into Black History Month. With a Harvard PhD under his belt, he reigned as the second African-American to achieve such distinction after the legendary W. E. B. Du Bois – and all that without fancy linguist skills to impress at parties!
Source => en.wikipedia.org