The Carter G. Woodson Memorial at 9th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NW is dedicated to the father of Black History, who lived and worked around the corner from the memorial. It sits in a triangle park, which includes a bronze sculpture of Dr. Woodson seated on a circular stone memorial surrounded by a paved plaza and set within a landscaped green space.
The Woodson sculpture, by Ray Kaskey, depicts Woodson seated; the back of the memorial includes bronze books with titles authored by Woodson. The memorial was dedicated during the summer of 2016.
“Truth comes to us from the past, then like gold washed down from the mountain.”
Carter Godwin Woodson (December 19, 1875 – April 3, 1950) was an American historian, author, journalist, and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He was one of the first scholars to study the history of the African diaspora. In February 1926, he launched the celebration of “Negro History Week,” the precursor of Black History Month. His home, at 1538 9th Street NW, is a National Historic Site.
