The UAB Theatre group performing at DCW to grades K-6.  The group performed "The Ransom of Red Chief".

The home of Carter Woodson, located in Washington D.C., is among 24 sites identified for preservation through a grant from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  The winners will be selected by voting using social media, like Twitter and Facebook.

Of the 24 sites, the home of Carter Woodson is the only one that honors a famous African American leader.

Born December 19, 1875, the son of former enslaved Africans, James and Eliza Riddle Woodson. His father helped Union soldiers during the Civil War, and he moved his family to West Virginia when he heard that Huntington was building a high school for blacks. Coming from a large, poor family, Carter Woodson could not regularly attend school. Through self-instruction, Woodson mastered the fundamentals of common school subjects by age 17.

Wanting more education, Carter went to Fayette County to earn a living as a miner in the coal fields. He was able to devote only a few months each year to his schooling. In 1895, at the age of 20, Woodson entered Douglas High School, where he received his diploma in less than two years. From 1897 to 1900, Woodson taught at Winona in Fayette County. In 1900 he was selected as the principal of Douglass High School. He earned his Bachelor of Literature degree from Berea College in Kentucky in 1903 by taking classes part-time between 1901 and 1903.

From 1903 to 1907, Woodson was a school supervisor in the Philippines. Later, he attended the University of Chicago (Barak Obama's Alma Mater), where he was awarded an A.B. and A.M. in 1908. He was a member of the first black fraternity Sigma Pi Phi and a member of Omega Psi Phi.    He completed his Ph.D. in history at Harvard University in 1912, where he was the second African American (after W.E.B. Dubois) to earn a doctorate. His doctoral dissertation,The Disruption of Virginia, was based on research he did at the Library of Congress while teaching high school in Washington, D.C. After earning the doctoral degree, he continued teaching in the public schools, later joining the faculty at Howard University as a professor, where he served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Convinced that the role of his own people in American history and in the history of other cultures was being ignored or misrepresented among scholars, Woodson realized the need for research into the neglected past of African Americans. Along with Alexander L. Jackson, Woodson in 1915 published The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861. His other books followed: A Century of Negro Migration continues to be published by the Association for the study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

Also in 1915 Woodson began the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History  (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History), which ran conferences, published The Journal of Negro History, and "particularly targeted those responsible for the education of black children".

He once wrote, “If you can control a man’s thinking, you don’t have to worry about his actions. If you can determine what a man thinks you do not have to worry about what he will do. If you can make a man believe that he is inferior, you don’t have to compel him to seek an inferior status, he will do so without being told and if you can make a man believe that he is justly an outcast, you don’t have to order him to the back door, he will go to the back door on his own and if there is no back door, the very nature of the man will demand that you build one.”

What you can do to help:

1. LIKE us on Facebook and tell you friends about:  http://www.facebook.com/NPS.CAWO
2. VOTE for us by registering at http://partnersinpreservation.com with either your Facebook or email account.  Earn 50 points.
3. FOLLOW us on Twitter @WoodsonNPS.  Then TWEET about us, using #CarterWoodson.  Earns 10 Points.

For more information on how you can support the effort to preserve the Washington D.C. Home, please see the attached flyer.

“Wow!  I’m so surprised….did you see Henry……did you hear him?  Yes, but what about Tess, Ruth and Robert—they totally shocked me…just didn’t expect that from them…NO WAY!  I would not have believed it if I had not been there to see it myself…I’m so impressed…where did you say this happened?... at Booker T. Washington High School of course!

These were the remarks of students, faculty, administration and parents who attended the Spring Piano Recital presented by the Fine Arts Department at Booker T. Washington High School under the direction of Mr. Olander Robinson.  A presentation from piano students playing music from the masters like Beethoven and Bach, to the Blues, traditional Spirituals, and even original compositions were the highlight against a backdrop of beauty, discipline, order, and a strong will and determination to excel.  In addition to the technical skill displayed on the piano, students wrote personal quotes about what the art of playing the piano and music means to them.

Music and the Arts at Booker T. Washington High school are a tradition of excellence.  From its beginnings, Booker T. Washington has touted many talented arts’ professionals among its faculty with talented students fulfilling the school’s motto:  Rising to Meet the Challenge.  Through the years, students who have participated in the arts programs (band, choir, drama, visual arts) have excelled in other academic areas as well.   We are proud that many of the valedictorians, salutatorians, class queens, SGA Officers have come from the ranks of band and choir.

Over the past ten years of accountability reporting, our nation, our state, and our county have focused on the core academic areas that are assessed:  English Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science.  In fact, we are at a crucial point in time as our educators fight to increase academic rigor in our curriculum.  It is critical that we prepare our students to compete in a global society.  But just as important as it is to teach them to read, write, compute and become critical thinkers, it is also vital that we ensure an appreciation of the beauty of and in life; enlighten the mind for creativity, exploration, invention; and increase aesthetic awareness in our students.

 We extend a heartfelt thank you to Mr. Robinson and his piano students.   We are so proud of you!

"We Wear the Masks" student Art Projects are on display at the the NHS Library in fulfillment of a grade through Mr. Robert Lyda class, Music Instructor at NHS.

During TIMS morning assembly on Friday April 19, 2013, Mr. Reggie Barlow (ASU Head Football Coach) spoke to the young men about becoming successful in their lives. He used the acronym DASH (D=Discipline, A=Attitude, S=Sacrifice, and H=Habits) to bring his presentation home to the male students. We were honored that Mr. Barlow took the time to come visit us and share his wisdom with our young men.

Studies indicate that students who eat school breakfast increase their math and reading scores and improve their cognitive speed and memory, according to the Food Research and Action Center.  However, fewer than half of the students that eat lunch at school also eat breakfast.  Kellogg’s recognized this problem and partnered with Action for Healthy Kids to make a difference through their third annual Share Breakfast program.  To garner increased participation in the national School Breakfast Program, Booker T. Washington School Nutrition Program Staff recognized National School Breakfast Month by hosting a ‘Breakfast Taste Event’ on March 22, 2013, during their scheduled breakfast time.   Booker T. Washington High School joined 11 other schools nationwide selected and awarded an Action for Healthy Kids’ School Grant funded by Kellogg’s to hold this special event. Kellogg’s provided Share Breakfast kits which included bowls, spoons, napkins, cups, posters, breakfast banners, table cloths, brochures and stickers(some personalized) to assist in making this a special event for our students. The SNP staff served 494 students (89% of students in attendance) as they enjoyed tasting a variety of their most popular nutritious breakfast items.  The students were very pleased to have the attendance of our Board Member, and the entire Faculty and Staff of BTW attend and assist with this special event.   The School Nutrition Program Director, Mrs. Emma Wilson-James and the BTW Cafeteria Staff would like to extend a special “Thank You” to the Principal, Mr. A.J. Nelson, Assistant Principal, Mrs. Tanika Jones and Faculty for their cooperation in making this event a reality during the AHSGE week. 

Ms. Bettis presenting her paper

Ms Bettis defends her paper.

The committee, family and friends congratulating Dr. Bettis. (Dr. Brooks was one of the committee members)

Dr. Bettis rings the traditional Doctoral bell. The sound was so sweet and powerful!