In 1926, Woodson pioneered the celebration of “Negro History Week” designated for the second week in February, to coincide with marking the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The week of recognition became accepted and has been extended as the full month of February, know known as Black History Month.

Mr. Woodson introduced the concept : He noted that African American contributions “were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them. Race prejudice,” he concluded, “is merely the logical result of tradition, the inevitable outcome of thorough instruction to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind.”