Born in rural Virginia during Reconstruction, Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) was a central figure in black history and an important American scholar. In 1912, he became the first and only individual of slave parentage to earn a Ph.D. in history. In 1915 he founded the Association for the Study of Negro (now African-American) Life and History, and he devoted the remainder of his life to the study and advancement of the history of his race. His legacy of achievement extends to the present day. In preparing this detailed biography of Woodson, the first book-length treatment of his life, Jacqueline Goggin conducted extensive research in archival sources throughout the country. From a paucity of primary materials, she provides as complete an account as possible of Woodson’s humble upbringing and early influences. She also describes his education at Berea College, the University of Chicago, and Harvard University, and his early career as a teacher in the public schools of Washington, D.C., an experience that deepened his belief in the uplifting power of education for blacks. Drawing upon Woodson’s own writings, correspondence from a wide range of collections, and numerous secondary sources, the author delineates Woodson’s work both within and outside the ASNLH, as well as his contributions to the interpretation of American history. Woodson maintained that knowledge of Negro history would inculcate blacks with a sense of self-esteem and alleviate white racism, and he initiated a series of educational programs and publications directed toward black and white intellectuals as well as the mass of African Americans. He edited the Journal of Negro History and the Negro History Bulletin and wrote many influential books, notably The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 and The Negro in Our History. Through his research and writing, he challenged prevailing stereotypes about blacks and established black history as a legitimate field of inquiry, enduring all the while the patronizing attitudes of many white historians, educators, and philanthropists, on whom he relied for always-scarce funding. Woodson also used his scholarship to influence the policies of black social welfare and protest organizations such as the National Urban League, the NAACP, and the more radical Friends of Negro Freedom. W. E. B. Du Bois said of Woodson that he “kept to one goal, and worked at it stubbornly and with unwavering application and died knowing that he accomplished much if not all that he planned.” This important intellectual biography reveals the complex and dedicated individual Woodson was and the lasting significance of his pioneering work in black history.

From 1930 until 1933, when Greene began teaching at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, Selling Black History for Carter G. Woodson provides a unique firsthand account of conditions in African American communities during the Great Depression. Greene describes in the diary, often in lyrical terms, the places and people he visited. He provides poignant descriptions of what was happening to black professional and business people, plus working-class people, along with details of high school facilities, churches, black business enterprises, housing, and general conditions in communities. Greene also gives revealing accounts of how the black colleges were faring in 1930.

"Carter G. Woodson didn't just read history. He changed it." As the father of Black History Month, he spent his life introducing others to the history of his people. Carter G. Woodson was born to two formerly enslaved people ten years after the end of the Civil War. Though his father could not read, he believed in being an informed citizen, so he asked Carter to read the newspaper to him every day. As a teenager, Carter went to work in the coal mines, and there he met Oliver Jones, who did something important: he asked Carter not only to read to him and the other miners, but also research and find more information on the subjects that interested them. "My interest in penetrating the past of my people was deepened," Carter wrote. His journey would take him many more years, traveling around the world and transforming the way people thought about history. From an award-winning team of author Deborah Hopkinson and illustrator Don Tate, this first-ever picture book biography of Carter G. Woodson emphasizes the importance of pursuing curiosity and encouraging a hunger for knowledge of stories and histories that have not been told. Back matter includes author and illustrator notes and brief biological sketches of important figures from African and African American history.

A facsimile of the 1922 edition of "The Negro in Our History," by Carter G. Woodson, Ph.D. An essential book for African American libraries and collections.