Carter G. Woodson Home

https://www.nps.gov/cawo/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_G._Woodson_Home_National_Historic_Site Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site at 1538 9th Street NW, in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C., preserves the home of Carter G. Woodson (1875–1950). Woodson, the founder of Black History Month, was an African-American historian, author, and journalist. Before Dr. Carter G. Woodson, there was very little accurate written history about the lives and experiences of Americans of African descent. Today a National Historic Site, Dr. Woodson’s home served as the headquarters for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Dr. Woodson established Negro History Week here in 1926, which we celebrate today as Black History Month. From The National Mall travel east onto Constitution Avenue NW, until you come to 12th Street (which is a one-way street). Make a left turn onto 12th Street. Continue traveling north on 12th Street NW, until you come to Rhode Island Avenue. Make a right turn onto Rhode Island Avenue. Keep straight on Rhode Island Avenue, until you come to 9th Street. Make a right turn onto 9th Street. Keep straight and 1538 9th Street will be the third house on the right (the red brick one). Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site The restored facades of three historic Victorian row-homes on an urban street in Washington, DC The view from across the street of the facades of the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site. Handicapped Accessibility at the back of the Carter G. Woodson Home NHS The backs of the three restored homes that make up the Woodson Home NHS with accessibility Handicapped Accessibility (ramp, parking space) at the back of the Carter G. Woodson Home NHS. Hallway and staircases on second level The second level in a historic home with wooden floorboards, steps, railings, light fixtures, window The second floor of the Woodson Home with restored original floorboards, steps, and railings. Typewriter Old-fashioned type writers sits on top of a desk with other office supplies An old-fashioned typewriter sits on top of a desk along with other office supplies in the reception area and office space of Dr. Woodson's office-home. Carter G. Woodson Home exterior A red brick townhouse Carter G. Woodson Home Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Carter G. Woodson’s best-known contribution occurs every February. He initiated celebration of the first Negro History Week in 1926, focusing on black history. Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week because it corresponds with the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Over the years, support grew, and the week became a month in 1976. February of each year is now Black History Month. Carter G. Woodson National Park Getaway: Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Discover the life and legacy of the remarkable founder of Black History Month at the Carter G. Woodson National Historic Site. A row of townhouses in front of rows of modern buildings Memorials for the Future Memorials for the Future, is a competition that aims to rethink the way we develop and experience memorials in Washington, D.C. Memorials for the Future Logo Sea Level Rise in the DC Area Learn about current and projected rates of sea level rise in the greater DC area, based on local water level data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) A tall white cylinder attached to a wooden pier with Hains Point in the background. Staff Spotlight: George McDonald Meet George McDonald, the Chief of Youth Programs and the Experienced Services Program Division. George oversees projects and programs that involve youth and young adults working at National Park Service sites across the country, primarily focusing on individuals 15 to 30 years old, and those 35 years old or under who are military veterans. These projects generally cover natural and cultural resource conservation. Learn more about him. George McDonald smiling at Grand Canyon National Park Zora Neale Hurston and Cudjo's Own Story In 2018, "Barracoon" by Zora Neale Hurston was published posthumously. This book told the story of Cudjo Lewis a survivor of the "Clotilda", one of the last ships to bring enslaved people from Africa to the United States. In this article learn about Hurston's journey to write this book and Cudjo's story. A Black man stands in a suit outside. Black History Dream Team Learn how two teachers, Mary McLeod Bethune and Carter G. Woodson, worked together to share scholarship on Black History with the public. Four people stand in formal business outfits.

Carter G. Woodson Home Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Washington, DC National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Visionary Carter G. Woodson • • • • • • • • • • • • LEFT TO RIGHT Dr. Woodson (center) with Morgan College students, 1931; Woodson office-home; Thaddeus School students Publisher AFRO AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS ARCHIVES; NPS / ASALH; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; BOOK—IAN BRABNER, RARE AMERICANA; WOODSON—WEST VIRGINIA ARCHIVES & HISTORY, ANCELLA BICKLEY COLLECTION Historian Educator Birthplace of Black History Month Founder Welcome to the office-home of Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson (left), “the Father of Black History” and founder of Black History Month. Advisor Dr. Woodson institutionalized the study of Black history by founding the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), today the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Its office operated from the first floor. From the second-floor office and library Dr. Woodson wrote 20 books and countless articles and trained the next generation of Black historians. He lived on the third floor. Activist Curator Scholar Mentor Dr. Woodson devoted his life to Black history. He saw the creation of Negro History Week, now Black History Month, as a catalyst to inspire people to learn about and appreciate Black historical achievements all year. Leader Writer This place was—and is—an active center for Black history, heritage, and progress. With the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site invites all to explore Dr. Woodson’s home, work, and legacy. We should emphasize not Negro* History, but the Negro in history. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world, void of national bias, race, hate, and religious prejudice. … The case of the Negro is well taken care of when it is shown how he has far influenced the development of civilization. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Journal of Negro History, 1927 *Today, Negro is an outdated term for a person of African descent. In Dr. Woodson’s day it was commonly used in a less offensive way. A N U N A P O L O G E T I C The following events are related to Dr. Woodson’s life and home. The * symbol indicates books he wrote. December 19, 1875 Born to formerly enslaved parents in Virginia 1903 Earns first bachelor’s degree at Berea College in Kentucky 1921 The History of the Negro Church*; launches Associated Publishers, Inc. 1908 Earns second bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree at University of Chicago 1922 The Negro in Our History*; buys DC home on July 18 1948 Introduces Negro History Week kits 1912 Earns history PhD at Harvard 1926 Creates Negro History Week April 3, 1950 Dies in his bedroom 1915 The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861*; cofounds ASNLH on September 9 1928 African Myths and Folk Tales* 1971 Associated Publishers dissolves; ASNLH relocates (renamed ASALH, 1973) TYPEWRITER— © JETT MORTON 1937 Launches Negro History Bulletin 2003 Congress names Woodson home a national historic site 1939 African Heroes and Heroines* 1892–95 West Virginia coal miner 1895 Enters Frederick Douglass High School in Huntington, West Virginia R A D I C A L 1930 The Rural Negro* 1916 Starts Journal of Negro History 1918 A Century of Negro Migration* 1933 The Mis-Education of the Negro*, his preeminent work 1976 ASALH redesignates Negro History Week as Black History Month; home designated a national historic landmark 2006 Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site becomes 389th unit of National Park System WHO WAS CARTER G. WOODSON? Born in 1875 to formerly enslaved parents who were poor landowners, young Carter Godwin Woodson (left in 1915) worked as a sharecropper, manual laborer, and garbage truck driver. Facts set properly He became the second African American to earn a PhD from Harvard University. forth, will tell their His education began in earnest at age 18. As a West Virginia coal miner, he discovered books about African Americans written by self-trained Black historians. This ignited his passion for Black history. own story. Dr. Woodson became a respected, skillful, and inspiring leader. For a few years he held various positions, including principal at the Armstrong Manual Training School in Washington, DC, and dean at Howard University. His steadfast dedication to his cause sparked volumes of work to flourish here at his home— and beyond. Among his many accomplishments, he founded ASNLH (now ASALH), Negro History Week, and Associated Publishers, Inc. Negro History Week is now Black History Month, a worldwide celebration that encourages us to learn, reflect, and feel inspired. Later he realized he needed to devote his life to forming his own organization to popularize and institutionalize Black history. Dr. Woodson is now part of history himself, yet his work lives on through these efforts. What legac