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but fire: how to lead meaningful race conversations in the classroom

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united states;race relations;study and teaching.

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race relations; multicultural education; #notlight; race conversations; talking about race; race in schools; race in the classroom; racial story; students of color; poc; protest; riot; protests; riots; race war; ally; racial labels; safe spaces; safe space; equality; equity; black lives matter

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united states - race relations - study and teaching

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united states;race relations;study and teaching.

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Not Light, but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom

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Not Light, but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom [Kay, Matthew R.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Not Light, but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom

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Columbus Neighborhoods
Clip: Season 4 Episode 19 | 10m 9s |

Pleasant Litchford and his family, all freed slaves, settled in Perry Township, now Upper Arlington, in 1832. A blacksmith by profession, he eventually became the fourth-largest landowner in the area. By the early 1900s, restrictive covenants barred people of color from living in specific neighborhoods. Later, the remains of the Litchfords and others were uprooted and moved to unmarked graves.

Aired: 04/05/18

Rating: NR

Problems Playing Video? Report a Problem |

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Columbus Neighborhoods | The Story of Pleasant Litchford | Season 4 | Episode 19

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Columbus Neighborhoods Clip: Season 4 Episode 19 | 10m 9s | Pleasant Litchford and his family, all freed slaves, settled in Perry Township, now Upper Arlington, in 1832. A blacksmith by profession, he eventually became the fourth-largest landowner in the area. By the early 1900s, restrictive covenants barred people of color from living in specific neighborhoods.

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University of Georgia Professor Bettina Love talked about book, We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom, in which she shared her thoughts on how educators, parents, and community leaders can advocate for "education freedom" for students through civic engagement and activism. At this event, Professor Love spoke with Genevieve DeBose Akinnagbe and Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz. close

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We Want to Do More Than Survive

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University of Georgia Professor Bettina Love talked about book, [We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom], in which she shared her thoughts on how educators, parents, and community leaders can advocate for “education freedom” for students through…

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John Lewis: The Fight for the Right to Vote

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Journal Prompts for Wellness
Download these prompts for personal journaling, discussion with family, or young people in your life.

BEAM Healing & Accountability Wheel
The BEAM Healing & Accountability Wheel draws on the work of previous wheels to serve as a guide on how to build loving relationships. Download here.

Activity Guide here.

Blank Healing & Accountability Wheel here.

BEAM Community & Self Care Support Plans
The Community care support plan is a map to begin asking the critical questions from our loved one's that help us show up for them in the face of a psychological or physical crisis.Use it as a tool before a crisis to plan out and map support systems. Download self care map here.

BEAM Community Care Map
The community care map is a tool developed to help our communities explore, build and uplift their community support needs.
Download community care map here.

Fighting For Ourselves As We Fight Against The System: Police Brutality & Mental Health: A conversation with Richie Reseda and Mannie Thompson of Success Stories, An organization that supports incarcerated men with challenging patriarchy, even as we fight to end the prison industrial complex.

What could the world look like if we centered healing and reimagined Black masculinity? This webinar explores how we show up for our children, families, communities, and selves in a way that honors who we are. Accompanying worksheets can be found here.

Black Mental Health & HIV/AIDS - At the Intersections: BEAMjoins the Black AIDS Institute's Brown Bag Lunch Series for a conversation about the intersection of HIV/AIDS and Mental Health. Click here to listen to the webinar recording.

Healing Justice Toolkit: Toolkit created by Black Lives Matter (BLM) Healing Justice Working Group for building healing justice into direct actions. Download Here.

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Website Copyright © 2017 Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective. All Rights Reserved.

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Journal Prompts for Wellness Download these prompts for personal journaling, discussion with family, or young people in your life. BEAM Healing & Accountability Wheel The BEAM Healing & Accountability Wheel draws on the work of previous wheels to serve as a guide on how to build loving relationships. Download here.

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Martin Luther King's Last Speech: I've Been to the Mountaintop

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WATCH: Amanda Gorman reads inauguration poem, 'The Hill We Climb'

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Sigma Gamma Rho WINS 2018 Atlanta Greek Picnic step show #AGP2018

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Black Excellist: 25 Black Tech Pioneers (Part 1)

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African American Inventors that changed our lives

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FIND PURPOSE - Chadwick Boseman  - Motivational Video

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Malcolm X - How Did He Inspire a Movement?

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Brief and concise historical episodes of the African-American experience. Narrated by renowned historian, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and executive produced by Robert F. Smith.

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February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and honor the generations of African American men and women and their struggle to achieve citizenship and equal rights in American society.

Black History Month provides a special opportunity for students to explore and learn more about famous African American mathematicians and their contributions to our culture and modern institutions.

When it comes to STEM classes, one of the best ways you can celebrate Black History Month in your classroom is by sharing the contributions of famous African American Mathematicians that you and your kids may not be familiar with (but definitely should!).

Why? Because most lists of famous mathematicians in history focus heavily on men like Isaac Newton, while the stories of so many other mathematicians from various walks of life go untold.

Some ideas for celebrating these famous African American Mathematicians include focusing on a different individual each day, assigning individuals for a famous African American Mathematician research assignment, or by sharing this article on your classroom's bulletin board.

And while you can share this list with your students and admire the accomplishments of these incredible mathematicians any time of the year, the month of February provides a focused opportunity to provide your students with deeper historical context and make connections between the past, the present, and the future.

11 Famous African American Mathematicians

1.) Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806)

Banneker, a mostly self-educated man in mathematics and astronomy, is best known for building America's first clock-a wooden device that struck hourly. Using his rich understanding of trigonometry and astronomy, he accurately predicted a solar eclipse in 1789.

Banneker was also a passionate civil rights advocate. In 1791, he famously penned a letter to then secretary of state Thomas Jefferson asking for his help in improving conditions for Africans living in the United States, which highly impressed Jefferson and convinced many that blacks were intellectually equal to whites.

He died at age 74 on October 9, 1806.

2.) Fern Hunt (1948-Present)

Fern Hunt is best known for her work in applied mathematics and mathematical biology. Throughout her great career, she has been involved with biomathematics, patterns in genetic variation, and chaos theory.

She currently works as an educator and presenter with the aim of encouraging women and minority students to pursue graduate degrees in mathematics and other STEM fields.

Hunt is a strong support of student choice, following one's passion, and surrounding yourself with a strong support system, which are all factors that she credits to her own personal success in mathematics.

3.) Mark Dean (1957-Present)

Dean is a famous computer scientist and engineer, credited with assisting in the development of several breakthrough computer technologies for IBM.

He invented the first gigahertz computer chip and co-invented the Industry Standard Architecture System for computing, which allows for common plug-ins such as personal printers and modems.

Dean was inducted into the National Inventor's Hall of Fame in 1997

4.) Elbert Frank Cox (1895-1969)

In 1925, Elbert Frank Cox was the first black man to earn a Ph.D in mathematics not only in the United States, but in the entire world.

After receiving this honor, Cox became a professor of mathematics at Howard University in Washington D.C. and eventually became chairman of the Mathematics Department in 1957. He would hold this role with great esteem until his retirement in 1965.

In 1975, the Howard University Mathematics Department established the Elbert F. Cox Scholarship Fund for undergraduate math majors to encourage young black students to pursue degrees in mathematics.

5.) Katherine Johnson (1918-2020)

Katherine Johnson was the main character of the critically acclaimed film Hidden Figures. Her contributions in the field of orbital mechanics, alongside fellow female African American mathematicians Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, were critical to the United States' success in putting astronaut John Glenn into orbit in 1962.

During her 35-year career at NASA, she held a reputation for being a master of complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computer programming for performing complex calculations.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015.

Video: Katherine Johnson: The Girl Who Loved to Count by NASA

6.) Valerie Thomas (1943-Present)

Valerie Thomas is a scientist and inventor best known for inventing the Illusion Transmitter in 1980. This technology was the first of its kind in the field of 3D-imagery and is the basis for modern 3D-televisions, video games, and movies.

From 1964 -1995, Thomas worked for NASA, developing real-time computer data systems and managing the team that developed the Landsat technology that supported the first satellite to transmit images from outer space.

Today, she continues to serve as a mentor for youth through the Science Mathematics Aerospace Research and Technology and National Technical Association.

"I always look forward to getting my Mashup Math newsletter email every week. I love the free activities!" -Christina R., 5th Grade Math Teacher, Dallas, TX Do YOU want free math resources, lesson activities, and puzzles and games for grades 1-8 in your inbox every week? Join our mailing list and start getting tons of free stuff!

7.) Lonnie Johnson (1949-Present)

Lonnie Johnson is a famous inventor, mathematician, and engineer who holds over 120 patents. He served as an engineer for the U.S. Air Force, where he worked on developing the stealth bomber, and later for NASA's Jet Propulsion program.

He is best known for inventing the Super Soaker water gun while working at the U.S. Air Force, a product which has grossed nearly $1 Billion since 1990. He also invented a "toy projectile gun," which eventually became the Nerf Gun.

8.) John Urschel (1991-Present)

John Urschel excelled in both mathematics and playing football at Penn State University and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics. In 2014, Urschel was drafted from Penn State into the NFL by the Baltimore Ravens, where he played his entire NFL career before retiring at age 26 to further pursue mathematics.

He is currently working towards his Ph.D. in mathematics from MIT where some of his mathematical fields of interest include graph theory, numerical linear algebra, and machine learning.

9.) Euphemia Lofton Haynes (1890-1980)

Euphemia Lofton Haynes is famous for being the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics, which she achieved from the Catholic University of America in 1943.

After earning her Ph.D., she embarked on a 47-year career of advocacy for students of color, improving schools, and overcoming the harmful effects of racial segregation. During this time, she was also a math professor at the District of Columbia Teachers College, where she managed the Division of Mathematics and Business Education department.

Haynes died at the age of 89 on July 25, 1980.

10.) Annie Easley (1933-2011)
Annie Easley is famous NASA computer and rocket scientist and mathematician who contributed to several space programs, inspired others through her participation in numerous outreach programs, and broke down barriers for both women and African Americans in STEM. Most notably, she was a leading member of the team that developed the breakthrough Centaur rocket, which opened the door for the launch of many of NASA's most important missions.

Easley was known for being a "human computer" and always fought to do her best in the face of adversity. In a 2001 interview she shared that "I just have my own attitude. I'm out here to get the job done, and I knew I had the ability to do it, and that's where my focus was."

11.) Mae Carol Jemison (1956-Present)

Mae Carol Jemison is a mathematician, engineer, physician, and astronaut. In 1992, she became the first African American woman to visit space when she went into orbit aboard NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour.

Jemison also spent time as a general practice physician and in the Peace Corps before joining NASA's astronaut program.

She continues to be involved in several initiatives and recently served on the council for an initiative called " Science Matters" which aims to encourage young children to understand and pursue careers in STEM.

Famous Black Mathematicians Video and Free PDF

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11 Famous African American Mathematicians You Should Know About - Mashup Math

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The history of African-American social dance - Camille A. Brown

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Lil Baby - The Bigger Picture (Clean - Lyrics)

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HISTORY OF | History of Black History Month

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Why Do We Celebrate Black History Month?

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Civil Rights - Martin Luther King Jr - Rosa Parks - Flocabulary

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Learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement with Flocabulary's educational rap song and lesson plan.

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Explained | Racial Wealth Gap | FULL EPISODE | Netflix

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How the rise of African creators impacted black culture

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Booker T. Washington - W.E.B Du Bois - Civil Rights - Jim Crow - Flocabulary

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Learn about Booker T. Washington & W.E.B. Du Bois with Flocabulary's educational hip-hop video and activities.

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Harlem Renaissance - Harlem Renaissance Definition - Harlem Renaissance Poets - Flocabulary

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Learn about the history and important figures of the Harlem Renaissance with Flocabulary's educational hip-hop song, video and activities.

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Jim Crow - Segregation Lesson - US History Video - Flocabulary

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Learn about the Jim Crow era and the important events and organizers who worked to end segregation in the US with Flocabulary's educational hip-hop video and lesson resources.

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Reconstruction - Post Civil War - Flocabulary

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What was life like in the US after the Civil War? Learn about Reconstruction with this educational hip-hop song and lesson resources from Flocabulary.

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Perspectives on Race - What is Race - Video about Race - Flocabulary

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Discover four different rappers' takes on race with Flocabulary's hip-hop video and lesson activities.

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Step Afrika! Presents: NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE

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Phi Beta Sigma WINS 2018 Atlanta Greek Picnic $20,000 step show #AGP2018

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Alpha Phi Alpha 2018 Atlanta Greek Picnic step show #AGP2018

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Excited to learn more about Black History Month? Use these Black History Month learning resources to get started today!

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Step Afrika!'s signature work, The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence is based on Lawrence's iconic painting series that chart the story of African-American migrants moving from the south to the north in the early 1900s. Each piece uses the images, color palette and motifs of the paintings to tell the migration story through body percussion and dance.

"A Living, Breathing, Stepping 'Exhibition of Jacob Lawrence."

New York Times

"This immigration story is an important part of American history, beautifully rendered via art and dance."

Huffington Post

"A visceral history that covers the gamut of emotions from deep sorrow to joyous celebration."

Broadway World

READ REVIEWS OF THE MIGRATION!
Read this review of The Migration by DC Metro Theater Arts! Read this pre-production write up by the DCist! Read the Washington Post Preview
Check out this amazing resource provided by The Phillips Collection, featuring information about Jacob Lawrence and his Migration Series.
The Migration is made possible through commissioning support from Washington Performing Arts; Hancher Auditorium at University of Iowa; the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at Illinois; Ordway Center for the Performing Arts; and Meany Hall for Performing Arts at University of Washington. Images from Jacob Lawrence's "The Migration Series" generously provided by The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC and the Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

What if we could take the energy of stepping, harness it and reuse it to power devices and communities? Green is the New Black is a work created by Step Afrika! to explore, through the use of energy harvesting technology, our capacity to capture the "power" created through stepping and convert that power into electrical energy. Green is the New Black will promote concepts of sustainable energy and "climate care" through a performance that is powered by the energy of dance.

a ground-breaking expression of the African American art form of stepping set to a soaring classical score. Choreographed by Step Afrika! and composed by Maestro Randall Fleischer, Symphony in Step is Symphony in Step features the dynamic energy of stepping in conjunction with a 15-piece chamber orchestra.

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Step Afrika!'s signature work, The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence is based on Lawrence's iconic painting series that chart the story of African-American migrants moving from the south to the north in the early 1900s. Each piece uses the images, color palette and motifs of the paintings to tell the migration story through body percussion and dance.

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Digital Schomburg provides access to trusted information, interpretation, and scholarship on the global Black experience through online materials at the Schomburg Center created and curated by our staff and librarians. Visitors can locate online articles, digital exhibitions, photographs, audio and…

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Educating yourself with these shows is one more way to understand the current moment

smithsonianmag.com

Over the past few weeks, supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement have worked tirelessly to advance the conversation on racism and equality in the United States. Through protests in cities and towns across the country, along with primary voters casting their ballots, the rallying cry is loud and clear. Even before the protests began, many museums around the country had begun hosting exhibitions-online-only, due to COVID-19-that cover black history, racism, protest and other important topics that pertain to the movement at large.

Here are eight you can see right now.

"Jordan Casteel: Within Reach," New Museum, New York City

Jordan Casteel's body of work reads much like a visual diary of the many people she's crossed paths with over the years. Focusing solely on people of color, the Denver-born artist has documented everyone from musicians performing in the streets of her Harlem neighborhood to students she's taught at Rutgers University-Newark, where she's an assistant professor in the arts department. Now in her early 30s, the painter has been honored with her first solo museum exhibition in New York City at the New Museum. Called "Jordan Casteel: Within Reach," the exhibition features 40 color-saturated oversized portraits that capture daily life through the lens of the black community, with special focus on individuals who often get overlooked by society in general. In an interview in the New York Times, Casteel said, "To have an immigrant story so prominently placed at this time in this world, in New York City-it just feels right." Watch the virtual tour above. On view through September 1.

"Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle," Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts

From 1954 through 1956, while the civil rights movement was unfolding right before him, the late artist Jacob Lawrence created a series of paintings called "Struggle: From the History of the American People." Now, for the first time in more than 60 years, 30 panels from the original collection have been reunited for an exhibition titled "Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle" at the Peabody Essex Museum. Beginning with the American Revolution and working its way through 1817, Lawrence directed his attention on such important events as the Boston Tea Party, examining the struggles of a young nation getting its footing from the perspectives of African Americans, Native Americans, women and anyone else whose stories are rarely told in history class. His works are interspersed with those of other contemporary artists, including Derrick Adams and Bethany Collins. Take this virtual tour of the exhibit. On view through August 9.

"Chez Baldwin," National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C.

Even after his death, novelist, playwright, poet and activist James Baldwin remains an important black cultural icon, with his writings on class and race in America still capturing the attention of audiences around the globe. (You've probably heard of one of his most famous works, If Beale Street Could Talk, a 1974 novel that was adapted into a Oscar-winning film in 2018.) While people may be familiar with his work, Baldwin's life outside the spotlight is lesser known. For "Chez Baldwin," an online exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, viewers can become acquainted with the life he made for himself in the South of France, where he lived the final years of his life from 1971 until his death in 1987, through a collection of objects, including photographs from his travels and playbills. On view now.

"African American History in Colorado," History of Colorado Center, Denver

African American communities have played a crucial role in the settlement of Colorado, from the time it became a territory in 1861 to its admission into the union as a state in 1876 to the Black Lives Matter movement that's taking place today. "African American History in Colorado," an online exhibition at the History Colorado Center, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum, brings the stories of civil rights leaders, cowboys, Buffalo Soldiers and mountain men to life through photographs, interactive maps and timelines. The exhibit also extensively covers Lincoln Hills, a vacation resort open from 1925 to 1965 that was specifically geared toward African Americans and served as a respite from the racial tensions that permeated cities. On view now.

Using eye-popping geometric shapes that capture viewers' attention, painter Nina Chanel Abney tackles important contemporary topics like gender, race, politics and homophobia in her artwork. For her latest piece, a massive, site-specific abstract mural housed inside the lobby of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the New York-based painter wanted to "investigate some of the subtleties of systemic racism and cultural racism" that are embedded in today's society. Her piece is especially pertinent as the Black Lives Matter movement continues to gain momentum. "I was very excited about creating a piece that might really encourage some kind of dialogue for people who are in the lobby, they can start to engage as soon as they walk in the door," she says in a video, which now serves as a virtual tour. On view through January 3, 2021.

"Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words," Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, during the height of the Jim Crow era is how most people know Rosa Parks. But there's more to this civil rights icon than a single courageous act. In "Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words," an exhibition at the Library of Congress, viewers can find out more about the bus boycott that made news headlines while also learning about her upbringing on a farm in Alabama and her decision to move to Detroit to further the civil rights movement. The online collection features the outfit she wore during the bus boycott as well as dozens of photographs, financial documents and handwritten recollections that help tell the story of her many accomplishments during a trying time in our nation's history. On view through December 5.

"Photos from the Civil Rights Movement," High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA

The civil rights movement endured from 1954 to 1968, but the fight for racial equality still surges to this day, with organized marches continuing in cities and towns across the United States. "Photos from the Civil Rights Movement," an online exhibition from the High Museum of Art, helps bring the battle for change full circle. From photographs documenting Rosa Parks' arrest to the moment Martin Luther King learned that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize, the comprehensive collection-nearly 20 of the more than 300 on social protest at the High Museum of Art-shines a light on an era in U.S. history that must be remembered, especially right now. On view now.

"Portraits of African Americans," National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

From former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama to poet Langston Hughes to entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker, the National Portrait Gallery's comprehensive exhibit, "Portraits of African Americans," serves as a who's-who of both well-known and lesser-known history makers. The museum holds, after all, more than 1,000 portraits of African American notables who have made significant contributions to science, the arts, politics and sports. Each portrait includes biographical information about each individual and their importance in history. On view now.

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Eight Online Exhibits to See Right Now on Black History, Racism and Protest

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smithsonianmag.com Over the past few weeks, supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement have worked tirelessly to advance the conversation on racism and equality in the United States. Through protests in cities and towns across the country, along with primary voters casting their ballots, the rallying cry is loud and clear.

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We know that Black history is American history and needs to be embedded into your classroom experiences year-round. At the same time, Black History Month provides the necessary opportunity to dig deeper with students. Every February, we can support students as they learn more, discover cultural impacts, and follow social movements from the past to the present day. These Black History Month lessons and activities cannot be isolated or one-off classroom experiences. Think of how you can connect these topics to what you're already doing and make it authentic. And most important, do not just focus on oppression: Focus on the joy too!

Since 1928, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History has provided a theme for Black History Month. In 2023, the theme is Black Resistance. As you review some of our favorite Black History Month activities for the classroom, keep that very important theme in mind.

(Just a heads up ! WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Re-create civil rights freedom movement posters

The Civil Rights Movement Veterans site offers powerful examples of freedom movement posters, as does the Civil Rights Digital Library. Review them with your students, and then have them get into groups and create their own to share.

2. Explore Black history through primary sources from the National Archives

Choose from thousands of resources, including this 1970s photo series of Chicago.

3. Learn about famous Black artists

Future Jacob Lawrences and Elizabeth Catletts will appreciate learning more about artists and expanding their talents! Plus, check out these other Black artists.

4. Watch a Black History Month video

Watching videos can be some of the most meaningful Black History Month classroom activities. Check out this list of Black history videos for students in every grade level.

5. Learn about the Black Lives Matter movement

The Black Lives Matter site explains the group's history while books like Dear Martin and The Hate U Give explore the movement from a fictional perspective.

6. Create a newsletter or magazine with content from Black authors

Have your students generate their own newsletter or literacy magazine to distribute to parents. Include poems and short stories by Black authors, as well as student-generated writings and images that center on Black History Month.

7. Read a Black History Month poem

To enhance our conversations this month, we've put together this list of powerful Black History Month poems for kids of all ages.

8. Turn your classroom (or school!) into a living museum

Have your students choose a notable Black pioneer they'd like to know more about, such as voting rights and women's rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, dancer Alvin Ailey, or Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest full-time national parks ranger. Then, host a living museum right in your classroom.

9. Learn about Madam C.J. Walker and other Black entrepreneurs

Do you know about Madam C.J. Walker, the first self-made female millionaire in America? Click here to learn more about her!

10. Decorate your classroom door for Black History Month

These teachers decorated their classroom doors in amazing ways to showcase Black History Month.

11. Honor some of the military's most courageous veterans

From the 54th Massachusetts to the Buffalo Soldiers to the Tuskegee Airmen, Black men and women have long served in the United States military, even when their own rights weren't secure.

12. Read books with Black characters in honor of the young hero Marley Dias

Dias is a young activist who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign as a sixth grader. She has compiled an excellent guide to books with Black girl characters. Check out WeAreTeacher's list of books with Black protagonists as well.

13. Read Black History Month books

If you're looking for more reading activities, these picture books help celebrate Black History Month and educate your students on how these people helped shape history.

14. Learn about the art of stepping

Stepping is a form of dancing in which the body itself is used to create unique rhythms and sounds. The website Step Afrika! has videos and information about the history of stepping.

15. Take a virtual trip to the illustrious Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The digital collections of the Schomburg Center, located in Harlem in New York City, feature some amazing online exhibits, interviews, and podcasts.

16. Virtually visit the incredible Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture

You can browse the collection online by topic, date, or place.

17. Host a poetry reading featuring works by Black poets

Have students choose a poem by a Black poet to learn and recite for the class. Choose a student to serve as the emcee, write up a program, and set the tone with dimmed lights and jazz music played between performances. The Poetry Foundation has excellent resources that can help get you started.

18. Discuss the Supreme Court trial that gave rights to Black Americans

Your future legal eagles will enjoy learning about the key Supreme Court cases that helped Blacks secure rights, the events and efforts that sparked the cases, and the aftermath of those court decisions. Be sure to recognize Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice and the lead lawyer in the Brown case, along the way. Also, follow up with students on how they feel these decisions impact our world today.

19. Listen to a podcast that celebrates Black history

RadioPublic has an excellent roundup of podcasts about Black history to listen to and discuss with your students.

20. Check out online exhibits on Black history

Educating yourself and your students with these shows is one more way to understand Black history and the current moment.

21. Dive into Georgia Stories: Black History Collection on PBS

As a state, Georgia played a huge role in the 2020 presidential election, and its Black history dates back to the earliest days of slavery in the colony.

22. Discuss implicit bias, systemic racism, and social injustice

Start a much-needed discussion around implicit bias and systemic racism with these resources that can empower students to fight for justice in our society.

23. Read the Freedom in Congo Square picture book to celebrate the dominance of spirit over suffering

The award-winning picture boo, Freedom in Congo Square, is a nonfiction children's book that describes the tyranny of slavery to help young readers understand how jubilant Sundays would be for slaves.

24. Watch Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History

Kevin Hart highlights the fascinating contributions of Black history's unsung heroes in this entertaining-and educational-comedy special.

25. Recognize Black visionaries

This great poster featuring activists, artists, authors, and revolutionaries will highlight Black change-makers in your classroom. Use companion activities to deepen understanding by researching several of the visionaries and asking students to write a story or create their own poster about what they've learned.

26. Create a Black History Month playlist

Many genres of music we listen to today were shaped by Black artists and their groundbreaking influences. Celebrate Black History Month with a playlist of pivotal artists, from Louis Armstrong and Jimi Hendrix to Beyoncé and Lauryn Hill. Spotify has ready-made lists to inspire you!

27. Review the time line of Black History Month

Why is Black History Month in February? How long ago was it founded, and who started it? Find the answers to these questions and learn more with this time line.

28. Explore the music of Black history

This lesson traces the long histor y of how Black artists have used music as a vehicle for communicating beliefs, aspirations, observations, joy, despair, resistance, and more across U.S. history.

29. Sample Black-founded snack brands

Honor Black History Month with delicious snacks from Black-founded brands delivered to your classroom-5% of proceeds are donated to the Equal Justice Initiative and one meal is donated to Feeding America for every box delivered.

30. Understand the role of Black women in NASA's history

How much do your students know about Black contributions to space exploration? Rent the film Hidden Figures and watch with your students to remember, honor, and share the incredible accomplishments of three Black women working on NASA's space flight program. Before watching the movie, research the liberties the film took in telling the story and discuss with your students the function of the choices. Did the filmmakers make the right choice?

31. Support local Black-owned businesses

Research your city's Black-owned businesses and see if you can purchase a sample of their products, invite some of the entrepreneurs to speak to your class, or book a field trip!

32. Stream Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices on Netflix

" Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices is a live-action collection of twelve five-minute episodes featuring prominent Black celebrities and artists reading children's books from Black authors that highlight the Black experience."

33. Check out this planner from Rethinking Schools

If you are looking to find more ways to include Black history year-round, check out this planner.

34. Celebrate the "Black Lives Matter at School" movement

"Black Lives Matter at School" is a national coalition organized for racial justice in education. It encourages all educators, students, parents, unions, and community organizations to join an annual week of action during the first week of February each year.​ For a variety of Black History Month activities, visit their website to learn more about their campaign.

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34 Black History Month Activities for February and Beyond

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Celebrate art, poetry, music, inventions, and contributions of African Americans with these Black History Month activities.

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Black history and culture is such a part of the American fabric -- and the school curriculum -- that it's difficult to imagine a time when that wasn't so. Established as Negro History Week in the 1920s by Carter G. Woodson, February was chosen for the celebration because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were born in this month. Extended to a month-long celebration in 1976, Black History Month is an opportunity to emphasize the history and achievements of African Americans.

Now Let Me Fly -- A Black History Reader's Theater Script
Celebrate Black History Month by staging a classroom production of this play. (Grades 3-12)

Brown v. Board of Education Celebrates 50 Years
On the fiftieth anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, Education World offers this special lesson planning resource. Included: Links to more than 3 dozen lessons.

A Mirror Into History
Students create poems about themselves and a famous African American. They will see that they are not so different from the great people of our past and present.

The Amistad Comes to Life!
Activities across the grades and across the curriculum bring to life the story of the revolt on the Amistad.

Martin Luther King
Education World presents a special Martin Luther King Day archive page that includes articles, lesson ideas, books, activities, and much more.

More Resources for Teaching About Black History Month

Updated 01/26/2017

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Black History Month Lessons and Activities | Education World

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Black history and culture is such a part of the American fabric -- and the school curriculum -- that it's difficult to imagine a time when that wasn't so. Established as Negro History Week in the 1920s by Carter G. Woodson, February was chosen for the celebration because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were born in this month.

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Sway: Create and share interactive reports, presentations, personal stories, and more.

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Sway is an easy-to-use digital storytelling app for creating interactive reports, presentations, personal stories and more. Its built-in design engine helps you create professional designs in minutes. With Sway, your images, text, videos, and other multimedia all flow together in a way that enhances…

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TeachersFirst's Black History Resources
Other TeachersFirst Special Topics Collections
Black History Month, held in February in the United States, is a celebration of the many achievements of African-Americans. Although it started in the United States it is now celebrated throughout the world and not limited to the month of February. This curated collection includes teaching ideas, biographies, interactive sites, research materials, and more to learn about the pivotal roles that African-Americans have had in history and continue to have today. Find inspiration and resources to share with students related to historical time periods, famous figures, and much more.

View our entire collection of tagged resources for Black History.

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best resources for teaching black history

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Black History Month, held in February in the United States, is a celebration of the many achievements of African-Americans. Although it started in the United States it is now celebrated throughout the world and not limited to the month of February.

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February is Black History Month. Explore the many contributions of African-Americans with our cross-curricular lesson plans, printables, quizzes, and activities below.
You'll find great activities and ideas which include biographies on athletes, scientists, civil rights leaders, and more! Utilize these ideas and resources for grades K-12 to examine the historical and social context of slavery. From art to technology, there are activities to connect Black history with every subject including holiday resources for Kwanzaa and Martin Luther King Jr Day.

Incorporate Black History Month into many of your classes, such as Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies, with our member exclusive activities packet. Looking for more? Explore and browse all Black History Month resources.

Educational Videos & Activities

Choose from various activities to extend student learning after viewing these short videos for Black History Month.

Technology Resources

Help students understand more about African-American culture through research on websites.

Printables for Grades K-5

Use these printable pages to expand students' knowledge about African culture and history. Activities include a collaborative project, reading passages, a writing prompt, and creating an African tribal mask.

Printables for Grades 6-8

Increase students' knowledge of African-American culture and history with these cross-curricular writing, reading, and vocabulary term activities.

Printables & Lessons for Grades 9-12

These creative resources are designed to enhance students' understanding of African history and culture through the influence of music. Activities include lessons with song lyrics, reading passages, and math in jazz.

Lesson Plans for Grades K-5

Expand students' learning about African-American history through these resources which include reading passages about African folk tales, heroes, and important people.

Lesson Plans for Grades 6-8

Help students understand the struggle of African-Americans through these activities which include the Underground Railroad, Martin Luther King Jr. and other influential people.

African-American History Resources

Use our resources to enhance students' African-American history knowledge through reading African folk tales or other literature, videos with activities, and coloring pages.

Slideshows

Our slideshows provide lists of interesting and creative activities to do to help students learn more about African-American culture and history.

Quizzes

Test your students' knowledge and ideas of African holidays, civil rights, and Martin Luther King, Jr. with these quizzes during Black History Month.

References

Use our references to deepen students' understanding of important people and events in African-American history.

Music & Drama Activities

Extend students' knowledge through these fun and creative music-related activities. Included you will find how your students can create a talk show and learn about the relationship of math and jazz.

Language Arts Activities

Black History Month is a perfect time to expand your students' African-American knowledge using warm-ups, reading passages with writing activities, and a wordsearch.

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Black History Month Activities for Classrooms (Grades K-12) - TeacherVision

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February is Black History Month. Explore the many contributions of African-Americans with our cross-curricular lesson plans, printables, quizzes, and activities below. You'll find great activities and ideas which include biographies on athletes, scientists, civil rights leaders, and more! Utilize these ideas and resources for grades K-12 to examine the historical and social context of slavery.

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Classroom resources for Black History Month - PBS NewsHour Classroom

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Commemorate Black History Month in your classroom with lesson plans and resources that cover topics ranging from civil rights events to discussions about race in current events. These lessons are appropriate for history, ELA and social studies classrooms, and include resources for students in middle or high school.

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Civil Rights Movement | Free Middle School Teaching Resources

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The civil rights movement changed America forever. Who were the leaders of the civil rights movement? What were the major events in the movement?

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Black History Month Lesson Plans and Resources

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8 Collection of the Decade Use Share My Lesson's curated collection of free Black History Month activities, lesson plans and resources for your classroom.

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6 Teaching Tools for Black History Month

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From interactive timelines and rich multimedia to study guides, these resources can help bring Black history into the classroom.

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Black History Month Top Picks at Your Fingertips | Scholastic

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Explore my top six, at-your-fingertips Scholastic resources for making Black History Month culturally relevant, inspiring, and impactful.