As part of the Municipality of the District of St. Mary's initiative to learn, appreciate, and reflect on the stories of African heritage that surround us is sharing stories about breaking barriers, challenging injustice, and changing the course of society in fields such as politics, science, arts, and social movements. This week's African heritage story is about Carter G. Woodson.

Carter G. Woodson
The beginning of African Heritage Month can be traced back to 1926 when Harvard educated historian Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week to recognize the achievements made by African Americans.
Woodson chose February as this was the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, both were key figures in the emancipation of enslaved blacks.
Black History Month was first celebrated in Canada in 1950.The first Black History Month was celebrated in Nova Scotia in 1988. (Nova Scotia changed the name to African Heritage Month in 1994.)