News Release
Subscribe
 |
What is RSS
|
Contact: Vince Vaise, 202-359-1717
WASHINGTON — Celebrate Black History Month at the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site (NHS) and the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site (NHS). The National Park Service invites you to visit these historic sites in Northwest DC. Both sites are open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays year-round. Admission is free.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week, later renamed Black History Month, in 1926. Mary McLeod Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women, helped promote Negro History Week and created the National Archives of Black Women’s History.
The National Park Service commemorates Black History Month with five special programs at Carter G. Woodson Home NHS and Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS:
Carter G. Woodson: History, the Black Press, and Public Relations
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2 p.m. at Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS
Join historian and author Burnis R. Morris as he discusses the evolution of Negro History Week to Black History Month. He will explain how Dr. Woodson used the press to promote the contributions of African Americans as part of the mainstream historical narrative of America.
Programs in the Parlor
Saturday, Feb. 8 and 22, 2 p.m. at Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS
Held in the historic parlor of the Council House, each program combines a 20-minute music concert with a 25-minute guest speaker. A ranger-led tour of the site follows the program.
An afternoon with Dr. Woodson
Saturday, Feb. 15 and 29, 1 p.m, 2 p.m, 3 p.m and 4 p.m. at Carter G. Woodson Home NHS
Each afternoon tour will be joined by “Dr. Woodson,” portrayed by actor Dexter Hamlett. Visitors will gain insights into Dr. Woodson’s motivation to create Negro History Week and his dedication to “the cause” of Black history.
The Activists, Artifact and Archivist
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2 p.m. at Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS
Join archivist Kenneth Chandler for a talk highlighting how the National Archives of Black Women’s History preserves the history of the Civil Rights Movement. On this day only, see the original pen used by President Lyndon Johnson to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964!
Walk the Walk
Saturday, Feb. 29, 11 a.m. beginning at Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS
Walk in the footsteps of Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Mary McLeod Bethune as we trace the history of the Shaw and Logan Circle neighborhoods and the Civil Rights era. A ranger will lead this walk from the Bethune Council House to the Carter G. Woodson Home. (20 min, approximately half-mile)
These programs are free, but reservations are encouraged. Space is limited. To make a reservation e-mail us or call 202-426-5961. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/cawo and www.nps.gov/mamc.
###
Last updated: February 4, 2020