In celebration of black history month we highlight a profile in excellence, Carter G. Woodsen, dubbed the father of Black History Month. The son of former slaves, he was one of the first blacks to receive a PhD from Harvard University. He later went on to develop a prolific career as an historian, author and journalist. In 1926, Woodsen started “Negro History Week,” an annual observance taking place in February, which officially expanded to “Black History Month” in 1976. Dr. Woodson was the author of over 30 books and is best known for his work The Mis-Education of the Negro, published in 1933. Today, we discuss the origins of black history month as well as the life and legacy of Dr. Carter G. Wooden with Associate Professor of Africana Studies and Chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University, Gregory Carr (@AfricanaCarr) for the hour.

Black History Month Event: Anthropologist and historian Dr. Runoko Rashidi has two presentations in the Bay Area this weekend. On Saturday, Feb. 16, 3pm he’ll be speaking about “The Global African Experience” at the Fillmore Heritage Center, 1330 Fillmore Street in San Francisco.

And Sunday, February 17 at 5 pm he’ll present his “Black Love through the Centuries” lecture at the Alena Museum, 2725 Magnolia Street in Oakland.

Dr. Runoko Rashidi is the author or editor of eighteen books, the most recent of which are My Global Journeys in Search of the African Presence and “Assata-Garvey and Me: A Global African Journey for Children in 2017.