Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and West Virginia’s Dr. Carter G. Woodson

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King – an activist whose work broke ground and opened doors for so many in our great nation. While most of us are familiar with the ringing echoes of “I Have a Dream” from his speech at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, another portion of his call to action speaks to me today:

“In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not work to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., August 28, 1963).

Dr. King embraced change and acknowledged the work of those who stood beside him and came before him, recognizing that the work of bringing all to the table of American greatness takes many hands.

On this day honoring Dr. King, I also remember the life and legacy of West Virginia’s Dr. Carter G. Woodson – a name I was unfamiliar with until adulthood. Growing up in Huntington, Woodson worked in local coal mines to both support his family and put some money ahead so that he could take time off to attend high school. Having worked and saved, he entered high school at the age of 20 – and he never looked back. After earning a BA at Berea College, he moved on to the University of Chicago for a second BA and an MA – finally landing at Harvard University, where he earned his PhD in 1912. According to the National Park Service, West Virgina’s Carter Woodson is “the only person of enslaved parentage to earn a PhD in the field of History from any institution in the United States.”[1] Dr. Woodson’s passion for education extended to his family, whose efforts to further their education he consistently supported.

Woodson worked with other Black activists of the early 20th century to advocate for introducing American students to the accomplishments of all – and in 1926 inaugurated “Negro History Week,” which has now expanded to Black History Month. To learn more about Dr. Woodson, you may want to check out e-WV - Carter G. Woodson. If you are an active learner, Marshall University is offering a series of free courses to honor Dr. Woodson’s legacy, which you can check out here Centennial Courses – Celebrating an American Milestone

[1] Carter G. Woodson - Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)