Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site

Carter G. Woodson

Learn how two teachers, Mary McLeod Bethune and Carter G. Woodson, worked together to share scholarship on Black History with the public.

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.

Memorials for the Future, is a competition that aims to rethink the way we develop and experience memorials in Washington, D.C.

Discover the life and legacy of the remarkable founder of Black History Month at the Carter G. Woodson National Historic Site.

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)

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.

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.