St. Petersburg kicked off Black History Month by raising the Woodson flag over City Hall. St. Pete is the only city in the nation to raise the Woodson flag over a government building.

ST. PETERSBURG – Mayor Rick Kriseman raised the Woodson flag over City Hall this morning (Feb. 1) as a kick off to Black History Month.

The Woodson flag commemorates Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who was known as the “Father of Black History.” St. Pete is the only city in the U.S. to raise the Woodson flag over a government entity.

Kriseman was joined by city council members and members of the board of directors of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum. The Woodson Museum is at 2240 Ninth Ave. S.

The Woodson Museum offers this about its namesake:

“The Father of Black History Month, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, was born in1875 near New Canton, VA. He was the son of former slaves. In 1907, he obtained his BA degree from the University of Chicago. In 1912, he received his PhD from Harvard University.

“In 1915, he and friends established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. A year later, the Journal of Negro History, began quarterly publication. In 1926, Woodson proposed and launched the annual February observance of “Negro History Week,” which became “Black History Month” in 1976. It is said that he chose February for the observance because February 12th was Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and February 14th was the accepted birthday of Frederick Douglass.

“Dr. Woodson was the founder of Associated Publishers, the founder and editor of the Negro History Bulletin, and the author of more than 30 books. His best known publication is The Mis-Education of the Negro, originally published in 1933 and still pertinent today.

“He died in 1950, but Dr. Woodson’s scholarly legacy goes on.”

Photos courtesy of the city of St. Petersburg.

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