# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reframing Black Resistance to Enslavement through Children's Literature.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Black History Month should be more than a month! 

# data[].attributes.subject
Black History Month should be more than a month! 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Explorer Alyea Pierce Shares Why Honoring Black History Should Be More Than a Month

Explorer and Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellow Alyea Pierce speaks to what Black History Month means to her-and why it should far surpass 28 days.

About National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content. To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on , and .

Explorer and Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow Alyea Pierce focuses on stories that are not being told, especially for black people. For her current project, she examines the revitalization of oral storytelling and folktale traditions in Trinidad and Tobago through present-day spoken word and rhythm poetry. While she studies contemporary Afro-Trinidadian literature, she documents the history and experiences of people, and explores the intricacies of Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival. She integrates photography, videography, and spoken word performance to create a manuscript of poetry and fictional short stories focusing on memory and migration.

In honor of Black History Month, we talked to Alyea about her work examining history and tradition in black communities, her thoughts on how storytellers can be more inclusive, and what Black History Month means to her.
What can the storytelling community do to be more inclusive? What resources would you recommend to aspiring black poets, writers, and educators?
To be more inclusive, the storytelling community needs to hold themselves accountable in capturing authentic stories. Storytelling is truth-telling. I believe the language we choose to use when storytelling needs to be intentional, reviewed, and challenged (especially from those in said community). As storytellers, we have a chance to share the journey of the unheard, unseen, and misunderstood, how are we choosing to do that authentically, critically, and respectfully?

For black poets, writers, and educators, I found it helpful to write as I am, when I understood the beauty and complexities of my own history more. I would recommend looking into museums, archives, and festivals like the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Schomburg Center, and the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival. I think it is a beautiful thing to simply be surrounded by brilliant artistic and literary-minded people like yourself, who also look like yourself. Also, if you are interested in improving your speaking or poetry skills, the New Jersey Orators Program, NAACP ACT-SO Program, and Urban Word NYC, are a few amazing opportunities as well (mentorship opportunities are also available). There are definitely tons of fellowships and residencies t o assist in your writing, so even taking a week or a weekend to improve can be helpful.
Why have you dedicated your work to examining cultural history and traditions? Is there anything you've learned about your own background while in the field?
I have dedicated my work to examining cultural history and traditions because the human journey is tradition, especially for black people. I am a Caribbean-American woman living in the States, and there are so many small phrases, movements, customs, foods, music, etc. that are important to my family. Why? I believe "why" is the most overlooked question. "Why" requires us to "deal" with our complex history. I am open to digging up the past, reflecting on the resourcefulness of communities from the African diaspora, and the fight to maintain some semblance of humanity in the face of pure terror.

I have learned plenty about my own background while in the field. I think the most important thing I have learned is the evolution of tradition. I have enjoyed exploring concepts around: How does one keep tradition while exploring contemporary issues and/or connecting with a modern-day audience? In a lot of the work I am researching, I am learning how traditional characters were created in the first place, and how they are keeping themselves alive in the 21 st century.
You also coach black students about creativity and leadership. Why is this important to you?
Black students are both: creative and leaders. The "and" is essential in this conversation because black students have been deprived of hearing that the two can exist. Whether a student is a leader in mathematics, science, literature, dance, or a sport, skills like creativity, organization, attention to detail, critique, practice, and teamwork are all used and learned. I desire to educate black students on how to use their creativity to assist in their personal, professional, and leadership development.
In your opinion, what stories aren't being told? Who would you love to see National Geographic Society feature this Black History Month?
In my opinion, I would love to see more black-identifying explorers showcased throughout Black History Month. I would love to see the breadth of their research, hear why they love to do what they do, their trials and tribulations, and how they honor blackness in their field. Those are the stories I find myself waiting for during this month. I want to see myself in different colors, strokes, and patterns!
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month is 28 days where black-identifying folx can unapologetically celebrate their past, present, and future without any scrutiny. It is 28 days where black history becomes American history. It is 28 days where black bodies are not forgotten. It is 28 days of nuanced black stories that do not look alike. It is 28 days of joy, pain, beauty, talent, hard work, generational trauma, success stories, stolen stories, redefined stories, and every story. It is 28 days of black folx being seen, and I hope one day, we will not be limited to only 28 days to be a part of history.
Learn more about the Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship and our 2019-2020 class.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Explorer Alyea Pierce Shares Why Honoring Black History Should Be More Than a Month

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explorer and Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellow Alyea Pierce speaks to what Black History Month means to her-and why it should far surpass 28 days. The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Starting with the Man in the Mirror- A Black Male Teacher's Use of African Diaspora Literacy.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
SSYL Text Suggestions Special Issue 2023

# data[].attributes.subject
SSYL Text Suggestions Special Issue 2023

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pullout SSYL - -Books to Teach Black Historical Consciousness.pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Committed to Teaching Black History; Books that Champion Black Historical Consciousness.pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Family Stories, Counterstorytelling and Chronological Overlay, Exploring Black Historical Consciousness in Elementary Social Studies.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
SOCIAL STUDIES AND THE YOUNG LEARNER-- SPECIAL ISSUE

# data[].attributes.subject
SOCIAL STUDIES AND THE YOUNG LEARNER-- SPECIAL ISSUE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SSYL Black History in the Elementary Classroom  SPECIAL ISSUE WITH LINKS

# data[].attributes.headline
Add to this document -- what resources for K-12 teaching can you share for Black History Month?

# data[].attributes.subject
Add to this document -- what resources for K-12 teaching can you share for Black History Month?

# data[].attributes.headline
Lesson plan on 1994 Crime Bill- Grades 6-12

# data[].attributes.subject
Lesson plan on 1994 Crime Bill- Grades 6-12

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Not Everyone Supports Black History Month

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We know about Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr., of course. But our American history lessons skip over so many other African American achievers.

My feelings about Black History Month are complicated. On the one hand, I deeply appreciate the time to intentionally celebrate the brilliant contributions to American culture and history by people who look like me. But while absolutely worthy of celebration, the stories of African American contributions to our society have become repetitive over the years.

Harriet Tubman was so brave. Martin Luther King Jr. was the best orator of all time. George Washington Carver sure was a wiz with peanuts! Year after year, I hear a dutiful recitation of the same familiar facts, and I fear that the result is the mistaken impression that this is the sum total of African Americans' role in our history.

Confining the history of an entire race of people to a 28-day period not only diminishes the significance of their contributions but also allows the greater truth to be erased. When I ask my African American friends about this, I often hear some version of "I'd rather have one month than no months." But is that the only choice?

Black History Month traces its origins back to 1926, when the Association for the Study of African American Life and History designated a week in February, chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14), as what was then called Negro History Week.

The creation of that week was an important historical marker; its founder, Carter Woodson, an African American historian, intended for Black history to be taught as a part of American history and looked forward to the day when a designated period would no longer be needed. At that time, although it had been a half century since the abolition of slavery, Black people were still strenuously making the argument for their humanity.

There is nothing so motivating as knowing that people who look like you achieved great things. I know this from experience. My grandmother's name before she married was Marian Robeson. She was the daughter of Benjamin Robeson, a minister and civil rights activist. Some will know his more famous brother, Paul Robeson, the scholar, activist, and entertainer remembered for his performance of "Ol' Man River" in Show Boat. Their father, my great-great-grandfather William Drew Robeson, was a slave in North Carolina. He escaped to Philadelphia via the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, he fought with the Union Army. And in 1876, this child of slavery graduated from Lincoln College with a degree in theology and then became a minister. My great-grandfather was one of his seven children.

Before she died, my grandmother shared with me her father's sermons. In them, my great-grandfather, also a veteran, spoke eloquently about his love for a country that opposed his civil rights efforts.

I first read his moving writings when I was in law school, at a time when I began to let feelings of self-doubt creep into my consciousness. In this hypercompetitive world, I began to think that perhaps I wasn't quite as smart as I thought I was, wasn't quite as capable. Reading his words pushed me to think about how the full story of the accomplishments of Black people is so buried that we think of those we do celebrate as exceptional. Learned racism teaches us that there can't possibly be so much Black excellence, that any accomplished Black person must be an outlier.

And then I discovered Ida B. Wells. Orphaned as a teenager, she went on to become a journalist, a mother, and an activist. She worked alongside Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and pushed them to include Black women in the cause for suffrage. The story of the women's suffrage movement is absolutely incomplete without understanding the efforts of Wells and her Black compatriots. Full stop. Here are 15 facts you probably didn't know about Susan B. Anthony.

Reading her words made history so real for me, so painful but also so celebratory. Today, as a documentary filmmaker, I think of her fearless crusade for truth often, and I'm motivated to continue to tell important stories.

My most recent reminder of the power of story was my work directing a film about Rep. John Lewis called Good Trouble. I spent a year interviewing him and traveling the country with him. Watching hours of footage of a young Lewis strategizing and organizing, watching him deftly work with White and Black activists and politicians, I lived history through his eyes and experiences.

Walking through an airport with the congressman, I was constantly struck by the fact that he could not go more than a few feet without someone asking for a picture or to shake his hand. He always stopped and acknowledged and thanked the person. It was as if he sealed each interaction with an implicit understanding that every person he connected with would become an ambassador, that when they tell the story of John Lewis, it will assure that history lives on, even now, after his passing.

Because of my work and my interests and experiences, I am acutely aware of the need for accurate information in our media and our history books. Don't we need this information all year long? Use these 12 ways to celebrate Black History Month all year long.

In 1976, the week that had been set aside to honor Black accomplishments was expanded to a month and called Black History Month. In the preceding 50 years, remarkable battles had been hard fought and won, including landmark Supreme Court cases that resulted in the 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education requiring the desegregation of public schools, the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and other civil rights laws guaranteeing basic rights of full citizenship to all people, regardless of race.

So now, some 40 years later, it's time for Black history to enter the next phase. African Americans no longer need to argue that we deserve equal rights. With the establishment of the glorious National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, DC, we no longer need to make the case that our contributions are worthy of noting and celebrating.

But racism and discrimination on the basis of race continue to be a stain on our country. And only by telling true stories do we have a chance to eradicate not only racist behavior but also racist thought. We have to face head-on the untrue idea that only White people contribute substantially to our country's cultural, scientific, legal, and other advances.

To dismantle this false narrative, the first place we should look is the story we tell about ourselves. I am confident that given the opportunity, a host of scholars would gladly take a pen to outdated history books-break them apart and add the rich context that includes the contributions of not only African Americans but native and Asian people, women, and every other marginalized group. History is not a pie; my having more does not leave you less.

I'm a "plus ... and" person. I think we need Black History Month. I also think we should challenge our educators and ourselves to consistently search out and share stories and facts that expand our understanding of history to include all who play a role in it. Acknowledging that America is a multicultural society and that the accomplishments and contributions of people who are not White are real, substantial, and important is proof that the American ideals so many of us profess to value are real.

I asked my friend, the noted historian and scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., for his thoughts on this, to which he quickly replied, "Every day should be Black History Month!"

Yes, sir. Every day.

Next, read one woman's perspective on why Black History Month is more important than ever.
Dawn Porter is a documentary filmmaker. Her film John Lewis: Good Trouble Editor's note: The opinions here belong to the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Trusted Media Brands. To submit your own idea for an essay, email [email protected] . is out now.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
I Think Black History Month Should Last All Year

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We know about Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr., of course. But our American history lessons skip over so many other African American achievers. My feelings about Black History Month are complicated. On the one hand, I deeply appreciate the time to intentionally celebrate the brilliant contributions to American culture and history by people who look like me.

# data[].attributes.body
Compilation from web...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
About the Brown Bookshelf - The Brown Bookshelf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Brown Bookshelf is designed to push awareness of the myriad Black voices writing for young readers. Our flagship initiative is 28 Days Later, a month-long showcase of the best in Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult novels written and illustrated by Black creators. You can read more abou…

# data[].attributes.body
A Cultural Celebration

# data[].attributes.body
Zaretta Hammond, 2014
Mrs. Hammond is famous for her work with Culturally Responsive Instruction.

# data[].attributes.body
Summary of Miseducation of the Negro- Carter G. Woodson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction Considerable time has passed since the first printing of this volume, but it is significant that it has meaning and direct implications for today's consideration. While it does not relate exclusively to Black History it does emphasize its instruction, research and writing.

# data[].attributes.body
Download it on Audible or Amazon.com (for 99cents!).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Here is an unapologetic look into the factors that have caused so many Blacks to think and act in the negative way they do towards themselves and others. This timely body of work is from a man well versed in the American educational system, as well as ed...

# data[].attributes.headline
"If history is about identity, then our Black History curriculum is a matter of life and death." 

# data[].attributes.subject
"If history is about identity, then our Black History curriculum is a matter of life and death." 

# data[].attributes.body
LeGarrett King, 2016

# data[].attributes.headline
Progressive Education in Black and White: Reading Carter G. Woodson's Miseducation of the Negro

# data[].attributes.subject
Progressive Education in Black and White: Reading Carter G. Woodson's Miseducation of the Negro

# data[].attributes.body
Jeffery Snyder

# data[].attributes.headline
Black History is More than skin Color - AMAZING BACKGROUND INFO

# data[].attributes.subject
Black History is More than skin Color - AMAZING BACKGROUND INFO

# data[].attributes.body
LeGarrett King, 2016