Google's kicking off Black History Month with a doodle of American historian, author and journalist Carter G. Woodson. 

Often called the "Father of Black History," Woodson is the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.   

Born to former slaves in 1875 in New Canton, Virginia, Woodson had a passion for education. Between supporting his family through farming and mining, he was largely self-taught. He began high school at age 20 and graduated less than two years later. Woodson then earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago and became the second African-American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. He went on to write more than a dozen books on African-American history.

In February 1926, Woodson began a weeklong program encouraging the study of African-American history. He chose February in order to honor the birth month of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln. The program later expanded to become Black History Month.

"I am honored to kick off Google's celebration this month by highlighting the life of this great American scholar," Sherice Torres, director of brand marketing at Google, said Thursday on Google's Doodle page for Woodson. "This Black History Month, I encourage others to learn more about the incredible legacy, contribution, and journey of black people in the United States."  

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