It is sad that in 2023, we still do not have a “Collected Works of Carter G. Woodson.” Such a series would be a tremendous undertaking, to be sure, but surely worthwhile. Woodson was one of the pioneers of Black history, a trailblazer and mentor for a whole generation of Black historians, and yet so much of his work remains tucked away in archives. This post is one small effort to remedy that and to make some of Woodson’s work more accessible.
“During the 1930s and 1940s, Woodson wrote several hundred essays in leading black newspapers such as the New York Age, the Pittsburgh Courier from Pennsylvania, the Afro-American from Baltimore, Maryland, and the Chicago Defender.” (Pero Dagbovie, “Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950)” BlackPast)
Some of these essays would be collected and published as Woodson’s most famous work, The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933). But there were many, many more. Unfortunately, many of these articles have not even been catalogued, let alone made available. I’ve begun this project with 150 articles from the New York Age (see Carter G. Woodson in the New York Age, 1931–1938); this post continues with 33 more articles from The Pittsburgh Courier.
Mary Anthony Scally’s Carter G. Woodson: A Bio-Bibliography lists only 4 articles from the Pittsburgh Courier (available here). A recent study by Burnis R. Morris lists over 200 articles by Woodson, and contains a total of 11 articles from the Pittsburgh Courier (see Carter G. Woodson: History, the Black Press, and Public Relations (2017). I’ve done as exhaustive of a search as I can, and have found 33 articles, and am making them available here, many of which for the first time.
Thanks to Newspapers.com, anyone in the public can access the “clipped” versions of these articles, even without a subscription. Where other researchers have already accessed these, I have linked to their clippings; where articles were previously untouched, I’ve created my own. In total, there are over 33 articles linked below.
The Pittsburgh Courier was founded in 1907, and became one of leading Black newspapers in the country. Robert Lee Vann took over as editor in 1910, and remained in that position until 1940, including the years that Woodson published his articles in the paper (see Victor Tolly, “Pittsburgh Courier (1907- )” at BlackPast).
Without further ado, here’s Carter G. Woodson in the Pittsburgh Courier (for those who prefer, a pdf of all the links is also available):
1931
May 16, 1931. “Is the Negro’s Business Education a Failure?”
July 25, 1931. “Dangerous Negro Education” [advertisement for The Crisis]
October 31, 1931. “Tells of the Contributions of ‘West Indian Negro’ to U. S.”
In November 1931, Woodson was featured on a page headlined “What the People Think,” where regular columns would appear in the years to come.
November 14, 1931. “Carter Woodson Tells the “Brutal Truth” About The Negro and His “Rapid Progress”“
November 21, 1931.”Find Negro Community; Work in It—Woodson”
1932
January 30, 1932. “Tells Why the Negro Cannot Move Forward”
March 5, 1932. “Common Sense Is Vital Requisite to Advancement”
March 12, 1932. “Do We Get What We Deserve?” (Also appeared in NY Age, March 12)
April 9, 1932. “Real Leadership in Washington is Big Problem”
May 14, 1932. “Carter G. Woodson in Fervent Plea for Nannie Burroughs“
May 28, 1932. “‘Is The Educated Negro A Liability?’ Asks C. G. Woodson” [Also appeared in NY Age, May 21]
July 2, 1932. “Prophets and Profits of Segregation” [Also appeared in NY Age, July 2]
July 23, 1932. “Progressive Work of Negro Teachers Ass’n Is Praised”
July 30, 1932. “Are You a Segregationist–Carter Woodson Inquires?”
August 6, 1932. “Does Segregation Solve a Problem or Make One, Carter Woodson Asks”
September 3, 1932. “Independence In Thinking And Voting Is Needed”
On November 26, 1932, the New York Age advertised that Woodson would start series of articles for them in December, but in fact, he did not publish in that paper again until October 1933.
November 26, “Carter G. Woodson’s Articles to Appear” New York Age.
In fact, Woodson did publish weekly articles in December 1932, and into January 1933 … in the Pittsburgh Courier. Whether or not there is an explanation for this mixup, I haven’t been able to tell.
December 3, 1932. “If I Were Living in Atlanta”
December 10, 1932. “Dr. Carter Woodson Flays C. & O. R. R. for K.K.K. Policies”
December 17, 1932. “Males Lack Of Respect For Our Womanhood Shameful, Charges: Women Should Have More Voice In Our Affairs—Woodson”
December 24, 1932. “Columbia Professor Strikes A New Note In Negro Education”
1933
January 7, 1933. “Carter Woodson Tells Reason Why He Never Married”
January 28, 1933. “Prefers Thugs to ‘Plugs’ Who Curb Progress Of Race”
October 14, 1933. “Sending Wrong Man to Europe, Woodson Writes” [also in New York Age, October 14]
November 18, 1933. “Selection Of Textbooks Which Treat Negro Fairly Is Made New Objective”
1934
February 3, 1934. “All Efforts Of White Social Investigators To Prove Negro Inferior Have Failed, Claims”
February 24, 1934. “Carter Woodson Lauds ‘Forgotten Negroes’ Who Played Major Roles in Race’s March of Progress“; “Continued from Page One” [also in New York Age, February 24]
March 17, 1934. “‘Little Stephen’ Was One Of First To Gain Fame As An Explorer”
April 21, 1934. “’Segregationists Are Mis-Educated; They Never Learned To Think,’ Says Carter G. Woodson”
1935
While the Courier did not print any articles by Carter G. Woodson in 1935, it did contribute to part of a larger, multi-paper controversy involving Woodson and the Rev. R. R. Wright, Sr. and some of Woodson’s comments on the Black church.
February 9, 1935. “Scrap All Religion Woodson Tells 3,000 Detroiters” — The Afro-American
February 21, 1935. Wright, Sr., “Is There a Negro Problem and Is It Being Solved?” — The Black Dispatch
February 23, 1935. “Woodson Misquoted on the Church” — New York Age
March 16, 1935. “R. R. Wright, Sr., Answers A Letter From Woodson” — Pittsburgh Courier
1938
January 15, 1938. “The Negro … 1865 To 1937; What Has Race Accomplished”
January 29, 1938. “Hoosier Schoolmarm Teachers Her Pupils To Be Proud Of Race”
April 2, 1938. “Claims Whites Learn About Negroes From Wrong Source”
1940
January 27, 1940. “Carter G. Woodson Flays White Publishers”
February 3, 1940. “Says Race in Need of Few More Funerals,” “Continued on Page Four”
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