Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site

The Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site is undergoing restoration and rehabilitation because it is a nationally significant place tied directly to the life, work, and legacy of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, "the Father of African American History". It preserves the physical heart of Dr. Woodson’s life’s work, and the National Park Service is working hard to protect its rare, irreplaceable historical features, preparing the site for safe public access, supporting education and public understanding, all so that it will honor Dr. Woodson’s role as a foundational figure in American history. Check out these new photos of the lobby exhibits for the Visitor Center at the site. What are you most interested in seeing?

NPS Photo

On Friday July 10th, come join us at Lincoln Park for our annual celebration of educator, NCNW founder, and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune’s birthday! The celebration goes from 10:00 am-2:00 pm and includes a parkwide scavenger hunt, children’s activities, live music, and a commemorative wreath laying.

For more info, visit https://www.nps.gov/mamc/annual-bethune-birthday-celebration.htm

(NPS Photo)

Step into 1776—meet costumed interpreters, see the gear, and hear the stories that bring the Revolutionary era to life in your neighborhood park.

Join us tomorrow Saturday, June 20, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM at Stanton Park

Enjoy a community celebration with Revolutionary War living history, historic games, Junior Ranger activities, Capitol Hill Restoration Society historic walking tours, plus a performance by the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the unveiling of the restored Nathanael Greene statue from 11:30–12:30.

For more info, visit https://go.nps.gov/stanton-park

(NPS/ Conall Rubin-Thomas)

📆 Still need plans this Juneteenth weekend?

Head to Anacostia Park’s roller skating pavilion on Sunday for an afternoon of celebration through creativity, community, and stories of liberation. 🎉

We’ve got art, line dancing, and more planned from 3 – 6 PM, so come on down! Did we mention you can make your own tote bag to take home, too? 😉

More information⏩ https://go.nps.gov/anac/juneteenth

Photo: NPS / Marcey Frutchey

Feel the beat—The U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps will parade through Stanton Park at 11:15 to kick off our midday celebration on Saturday, June 20th.

Join us this Saturday, June 20, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM at Stanton Park

Enjoy a community celebration with Revolutionary War living history, historic games, Junior Ranger activities, Capitol Hill Restoration Society historic walking tours, plus a performance by the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the unveiling of the restored Nathanael Greene statue from 11:30–12:30.

For more info, visit https://go.nps.gov/stanton-park

(The U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps)

Are you familiar with Dr. Rayford Logan?

He is most known as a scholar and historian, who argued that the lowest point in African American history was the period after Reconstruction, which he considered ‘The Nadir’. He said African Americans had freedom but almost no protection causing the rise of Jim Crow laws across southern states, the Hamburg Massacre in South Carolina, underfunded schools, and more.

He was born in Washington, D.C. in 1897. He graduated from Williams College in 1917 and later joined the U.S. Army, serving as the First Lieutenant for an all-Black infantry, the 93rd Infantry Division, which led him to France. He eventually returned to the states and graduated from Virginia Union University and later Harvard University with his Master's and a PhD. He would later become a professor at Howard University where he practiced as a historian.

In 1932, he joined President Franklin Roosevelt's "Black Cabinet", working alongside Mary McLeod Bethune. As a member of the informal group of advisors to the President, he tried to bring an end to the discrimination occurring in the United States Army. In 1951, he pushed "The Memoirs of a Montecillo Slave" into publication. Dr. Carter G. Woodson served as a mentor and trained him, and after Dr. Woodson's death, he became Director of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Dr. Logan was heavily inspired by Dr. Woodson’s work in Black History and helped to continue his legacy.

Who inspires you?

(ASALH)

📍 Not all who wander are lost; in fact, they might be a Trail Ambassador! 📍

In our brand-new volunteer position, you can choose a portion of the Civil War Defenses of Washington Trail to care for and maintain. 👀📝⛏️

The trail winds 6.5 miles through several Civil War-era forts in six sections from which to choose. Trail Ambassadors visit their selected segment at least once a month to check on and improve its conditions. 🥾🚶‍

Pick amongst these trail stretches:

1. Fort Place SE to Marion Barry Avenue SE (~0.6 mile one-way)
2. Marion Barry Avenue SE to Park Drive SE (~1.1 mile one-way)
*Please note: the linked map displays “Good Hope Rd SE”, the former name of Marion Barry Avenue*
3. Branch Avenue SE to Massachusetts Avenue SE (~1 mile one-way)
4. Massachusetts Avenue SE to Ridge Road SE (~1.5 miles one-way)
5. Ridge Road SE to Benning Road NE (~1.1 mile one-way)
6. Benning Road NE/Fort Mahan Park circular trail to Grant Street NE (~1 mile one-way)

See each section’s start, end, and general route with this handy map:
🗺️https://www.nps.gov/maps/full.html?mapId=8be3e5bf-585c-4c66-9c00-05b76b17a278

Craving some wanderlust on this sprawling, historical pathway? Apply today to become a Civil War Defenses of Washington Trail Ambassador ▶️ https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volopprecord?listing=a09SJ00000NJkd1YAD

NPS photo

“During all the years I knew Dr. Woodson, I only heard one person address him familiarly as ‘Carter’.... This privileged individual was Mrs. Bethune.” ~ Dr. Lorenzo Johnston Greene

Dr. Woodson was a highly professional and private individual, and most people in his life did not know him on a personal level. Even Dr. Greene, who worked for him for decades, admitted that he could not truly say that he really knew the man. There were only three people allowed in his inner circle: Dr. John W. Davis, Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune, and Attorney Louis Mehlinger.

How do you relate to Dr. Woodson’s approach?

Photo: Public domain (via Library of Congress)

Tap into your creative side at Anacostia Park’s own Juneteenth celebration, “It’s Up to Us!” ✊
📍 Skating Pavilion
🗓️ June 21
🕒 3–6 PM

Whether busting moves with DMV Pressure or decorating your own tote bag, prepare for an exciting afternoon of festivities!

Get more information ➡️ https://go.nps.gov/anac/juneteenth

Photo: NPS / Kelsey Graczyk

Bring a picnic lunch and your neighbors—let’s turn Stanton Park into our neighborhood picnic grounds and celebrate America’s 250th together!

Join us Saturday, June 20, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM at Stanton Park.

Enjoy a community celebration with Revolutionary War living history, historic games, Junior Ranger activities, Capitol Hill Restoration Society historic walking tours, plus a performance by the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the unveiling of the restored Nathanael Greene statue from 11:30–12:30.

For more info, visit https://go.nps.gov/stanton-park

(NPS/Conall Rubin-Thomas)