February is Black History Month, and Google is kicking it off by honoring Carter G. Woodson, frequently touted as the “Father of Black History,” with a Google Doodle.
Carter Godwin Woodson was born in 1875 to former slaves and, as the second African-American to earn a doctorate from Harvard, become one of the first scholars of African-American history. Woodson died in 1950.
Illustrator Shannon Wright designed the Google Doodle in conjunction with the Black Googlers network.
“Woodson was committed to bringing African-American history front and center and ensuring it was taught in schools and studied by other scholars,” Sherice Torres, Director of Brand Marketing at Google and member of the network, explained in a post about the Google Doodle. Torres explained that Woodson served as her inspiration when she said she wanted to attend Harvard and was discouraged by people around her.
![Portrait of Carter Woodson Portrait of Carter Woodson](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/carter-g-woodson.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
Here’s What Else You Should Know About Carter Woodson:
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Eyewitness Accounts From the Trump Rally Shooting
- Politicians Condemn Trump Rally Shooting: ‘No Place for Political Violence in Our Democracy’
- From 2022: How the Threat of Political Violence Is Transforming America
- ‘We’re Living in a Nightmare:’ Inside the Health Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town
- Remembering Shannen Doherty , the Quintessential Gen X Girl
- How Often Do You Really Need to Wash Your Sheets?
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Get Our Paris Olympics Newsletter in Your Inbox
Write to Alana Abramson at Alana.Abramson@time.com