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From Jennie Church at JoIES

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Check out this Presentation designed by Jennie Church.

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Monday, January 2nd, 2023

February readings

February is Black History Month. We were very excited to kick off the You Belong series with our very own President & CEO Trina Burruss who read Keaka, written by Terrence 'Coach T' Burruss and illustrated by Hajra Masher.

Other February readings include:
Flying High The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Ebony Glenn and read by UWBEC Board Chair Rev. Rachelle Sat'chell Robinson

by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison and read by Say Yes Internship & Career Pathways Supervisor for Employer Outreach Stephanie Peete

Saving Money with Randall and Jerome written & read by local author Mia Burse with illustrations by Eminence System

Learn More About the You Belong Book Project

book list

Below you will find a specially curated list of early childhood books in celebration of Black History Month. If you are donating to the book drive this month, we encourage you to pick a book from this list. Books with a * at the end are books that were read for this month's You Belong Book Project Story Time.

Learn more about the You Belong Book Project

Saving Money with Randall and Jerome by local author Mia Burse*

Y our Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow

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You Belong Book Project - February Book List

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United Way brings people, organizations, and resources together to create systemic change.

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Black History Month & Beyond Virtual Read Aloud Library 2024

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C-SPAN Classroom Featured Resources - U.S. History

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Below you will find C-SPAN Classroom resources relating to the to the topics and categories listed above. Click on each title to expand the section and view the featured resources.

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Track which books students read as they learn more.

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for younger students

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BlackHistoryMonth Big Fat Bookmarks (1).pdf

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The Undefeated 44 most influential black Americans in history

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Our select #Undefeated44 list has been unwrapped. Check the receipts of why we feel these black Americans shook up the world.

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Picture Books by Black Authors and Illustrators

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Picture Books by Black Authors and Illustrators

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The South Carolina African American History Calendar and its online home are brought to you by The South Carolina Department of Education and its partners. The 2022 calendar marks the 33rd year of providing educators, parents, and visitors a method of identifying African American role models for all youth and honoring notable African American achievers with ties to South Carolina.

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South Carolina African American History Calendar - Presented by South Carolina Department of Education.

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The South Carolina African American History Calendar and its online home are brought to you by The South Carolina Department of Education and its partners. The 2022 calendar marks the 33rd year of providing educators, parents, and visitors a method of identifying African American role models for all youth and honoring notable African American achievers with ties to South Carolina.

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Free posters to save and print that highlight Black excellence.

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Black History Month is celebrated annually in February. To help you celebrate in your classrooms, our creative team put together a series of 10 FREE Black History Month Posters you can download and use in your school.

Black History Month was originally a week-long celebration, coinciding with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, U.S. President Gerald Ford officially designated it a month-long celebration to "honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."

Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands have also joined the United States in celebrating Black History Month.

Scroll down to read about the Black history heroes we highlighted and their contributions to the world.
Download our collection of free Black History Month posters as high-resolution PDFs and JPGs.
Black History Month was created to honor all Black people from all periods of U.S. history.

Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman elected to Congress and the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for president of the United States from one of the two major political parties. During her efforts to claim the presidential nomination, she was blocked from participating in televised primary debates and after taking legal action, was permitted to make just one speech. Nevertheless, she persisted and entered 12 primaries and acquired 10% of the delegates' votes.

She retired from Congress in 1983 and went on to teach and co-found the National Political Congress for Black Women. She was an outspoken advocate for women and minorities during her seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Computer scientist, Mark Dean, co-founded the IBM personal computer and color PC monitor. His invention dramatically changed the way people work.

He is also responsible for creating the technology that allows devices to be plugged into a computer and communicate with each other.

Frederick Douglass escaped slavery in Maryland and became a leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York. He was famous for his antislavery speeches and writing.

He wrote several autobiographies describing his experiences as a slave, which were influential in promoting the cause of abolition.

After the Civil War, he became the first African American nominated for Vice President of the U.S. on the Equal Rights Party ticket. He was a firm believer in the equality of all people.

Malcolm X was a minister and national spokesperson for the Nation of Islam. He dedicated his work toward the betterment of African Americans and all races and ethnicities. He preached about human rights, freedom, action and community building.

In 1964, he left the Nation of Islam and founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. He was assassinated in 1965 while on stage during an Organization of Afro-American Unity meeting.

His legacy has inspired many others in their fight for social justice and equality.
Great for printing, including in newsletters, social media, your website, and digital signage!
Elijah McCoy's parents were former slaves from Kentucky who escaped to Canada on the Underground Railroad, where he was born.

McCoy studied mechanical engineering in Scotland. He had trouble finding skilled work in the U.S. and became a fireman with the Michigan Central Railroad. His duties included oiling steam engine parts. This led him to inventing an automatic lubricator that spread oil evenly over a train's engine while it was still moving and enabled trains to run for long periods of time without stopping.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was the most visible leader of the civiI rights movement. Here is a recording of his famous " I Have A Dream" speech in its entirety.

The first traffic signal (a two-position signal) was installed in London in 1868, but Garrett Morgan invented the three-position traffic signal in 1923. By adding a third signal to "stop" and "go", his invention regulated crossing vehicles more safely than earlier signals had.

Barack Obama was the first African American president of the United States. Since he left office, he has worked to develop future leaders by creating the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, which is dedicated to informing and inspiring future leaders, and My Brother's Keeper Alliance, an organization to provide opportunities for boys and young men of color. He also recently published a memoir, A Promised Land, which is expected to be the first of multiple volumes covering his political career.

Rosa Parks helped initiate the civil rights movement in the U.S. when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Her actions inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., which lasted more than a year. As a result, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional.

Additional Black History Month Resources for Schools
5 Black Inventors, Educators and Innovators You Should Know
Want poster designs like these all year long? Learn more about how our digital signage software can keep your students engaged, up to date, and in the know.

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10 Free Black History Month Posters for Schools

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Black History Month is celebrated annually in February. To help you celebrate in your classrooms, our creative team put together a series of 10 FREE Black History Month Posters you can download and use in your school. Black History Month was originally a week-long celebration, coinciding with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

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This interactive Slides presentation created by the Book Wrangler highlights Black excellence and achievement.

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Slides featuring a list of Black men and women making a difference. This was created by the Tutu Teacher.

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Copy of Influential Black Americans 2022 slideshow

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Interactive learning about different topics and people like Black Music and Claudette Colvin, and Kamala Harris. Created by LPJ Creations.

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Rooms have l inks to bio graphies , interviews, articles, documentaries & m ore!

Sharing is Caring, but you may not sell or profit from these products. The content in this section is for educational purposes only.

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Looking for a classroom NOW? Check out these FREE classrooms Rooms have links to biographies, interviews, articles, documentaries & more! Sharing is Caring, but you may not sell or profit from these products. The content in this section is for educational purposes only.

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EJI's work spans criminal justice reform, public education, as well as memorials and other efforts to bring attention to racial injustice

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A History of Racial Injustice Daily Calendar

Learn more about our nation's history of racial injustice by reading our online calendar, which features a different historical event each day.

Visit calendar website

Visit EJI's Legacy Sites in Montgomery

Support

EJI is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. We've earned a perfect score from Charity Navigator.

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EJI works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality.

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ASALH creates themes for each year's Black History Month celebration. These themes can be explored all year long.

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When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience, but to bring to the public's attention important developments that merit emphasis.

For those interested in the study of identity and ideology, an exploration of ASALH's Black History themes is itself instructive. Over the years, the themes reflect changes in how people of African descent in the United States have viewed themselves, the influence of social movements on racial ideologies, and the aspirations of the black community.

The changes notwithstanding, the list reveals an overarching continuity in ASALH-our dedication to exploring historical issues of importance to people of African descent and race relations in America.

2023 THEME
2023 - Black Resistance
African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms, and police killings since our arrival upon these shores. These efforts have been to advocate for a dignified self-determined life in a just democratic society in the United States and beyond the United States political jurisdiction. The 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s in the United States was defined by actions such as sit-ins, boycotts, walk outs, strikes by Black people and white allies in the fight for justice against discrimination in all sectors of society from employment to education to housing. Black people have had to consistently push the United States to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Systematic oppression has sought to negate much of the dreams of our griots, like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and our freedom fighters, like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Septima Clark, and Fannie Lou Hamer fought to realize. Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives, and for autonomy of their physical and intellectual bodies through armed resistance, voluntary emigration, nonviolence, education, literature, sports, media, and legislation/politics. Black led institutions and affiliations have lobbied, litigated, legislated, protested, and achieved success.

In an effort to live, and maintain and protect economic success Black people have organized/planned violent insurrections against those who enslaved them, such as in Haiti,, and armed themselves against murderous white mobs as seen in Memphis, TN (1892), Rosewood, FL (1923), and New Orleans, LA (1900). Additionally, some Black people thought that the best way to resist was to self-liberate as seen by the actions those who left the plantation system, of Henry Adams and Benjamin "Pap" Singleton, when they led a mass exodus westward in 1879 and Bishop Henry McNeal Turner of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, who organized emigration to Liberia.

Black faith institutions were spaces where Black communities met to organize resistance efforts, inspired folk to participate in the movements, and offered sanctuary during times of crisis. To promote awareness of the myriad of issues and activities media outlets were developed including radio shows, podcasts, newspapers (i.e. Chicago Defender, Chicago Bee, the Afro, The California Eagle, Omaha Star, the Crisis, etc.). Ida B. Wells used publications to contest the scourge of lynching. These outlets were pivotal in sharing the successes and challenges of resistance movements.

Cultural centers such as libraries including George Cleveland Hall Library (Chicago, IL), Dart Hall (Charleston, SC) and social, literary, and cultural clubs, such as Jack and Jill, Phillis Wheatley Literary Societies, fraternal and sororal orders, associations (i.e. Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, National Association of Colored Women, etc.) worked to support the intellectual development of communities to collect and preserve Black stories, sponsor Black history and literature events, and were active in the quest for civil, social, and human rights.

Black medical professionals worked with others to establish nursing schools, hospitals, and clinics in order to provide spaces for Black people to get quality health care, which they often did (and do not) receive at mainstream medical institutions. For economic and financial independence businesses, such as Binga Bank, Johnson Publishing Company, Parker House Sausage Company, Soft and Sheen, etc., were developed to keep funds within the community. In order to resist inequality and to advocate for themselves Black men and women formed labor unions based on trades and occupations, some examples, include the Colored National Labor Union, Colored Musicians Club, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and Negro American Labor Council.

Education, whether in elementary, secondary, or higher education institutions have been seen as a way for Black people and communities to resist the narrative that Black people are intellectually inferior. When Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week (NHW) in 1926, he saw it as a way to provide a space and resources to critically educate students about their history. The grassroots network of Black teachers used this week not only to lionize individuals and narratives, but also to teach students about racial progress, and as well as shared and collective responsibility. They developed assignments and curriculum to provide students with the tools to succeed. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), were developed by Northern white philanthropists, but they emerged as a space for the formation of activists, artists, business owners, educators, etc. and their continued operation have stood as testament to Black investment and creative thinking in the face of the changing landscape of higher education. Furthermore, students at HBCUs were at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power Movements, and social justice movements from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries.

African American spirituals, gospel, folk music, hip-hop, and rap have been used to express struggle, hope, and for solidarity in the face of racial oppression. Music has been used to illustrate societal issues including white and state sanctioned violence (i.e. Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit), sexual politics (i.e. Salt-N-Pepa's Let's Talk About Sex), as motivation, for strength against harassment, and to experience freedom. The Black artists, writers, photographers, and musicians who participated in the Black Arts Movement, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Chicago Black Renaissance were the soundtrack and the visual representation of resistance movements. These individuals created art that supported the resistance movements, but also provided a space for Black people to express love and joy. Creatives used poetry, fiction, short stories, plays, films, and television to counter stereotypes and to imagine a present and future with Black people in it.

Sports are a world pastime, and it both brings people together and separates them. Black athletes have used sports as a way to advocate for social issues and for political agendas. Serena Williams, Flo Jo, Jesse Owens, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Jackie Robinson, Colin Kaepernick, Simone Biles, and many others have used their public forum to bring awareness to issues that affect society as they resisted the idea that they cannot or should not speak about political, cultural, or social issues. Black athletic activists have often suffered personal and economic consequences due to their stances, speech, and actions, but to them it has been worth it to see changes.

Historically and today in the 21 st century, Black people have worked the political angle to seek their rightful space in the country. Where race is concerned, legislative or judicial action to deal with controversial issues has often come late. The historic Executive Orders 8802 and 9346 were responses to A. Phillip Randolph and the all-Black March on Washington Movement's threat to lead a 50,000-strong Black worker's march into Washington, D.C. And all three of the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act were concessions to the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Every advance, improvement in our quality of life and access to the levers of power to determine our destiny has been achieved through struggle. John Lewis advised, "Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

Lewis' advice is true not just for the 21st century, but also during the antebellum period, as seen in the narratives of the enslaved, such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, to testimonials about lynchings and ongoing police violence against African Americans. With the murders of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, and thousands of other Black women, men, and trans people there are new movements (i.e. #Sayhername) and organizations (i.e. Black Lives Matter) that are pushing for the justice system to investigate police involved shootings and white supremacist vigilantes. Nearly 179 years ago, the Rev. Henry Highland Garnett proposed that the only path to freedom, justice, and equality; self-determination; and/or social transformation is resistance. In thunder tones, Garnett shouted, "Let your motto be resistance! resistance! RESISTANCE!

By resisting Black people have achieved triumphs, successes, and progress as seen in the end of chattel slavery, dismantling of Jim and Jane Crow segregation in the South, increased political representation at all levels of government, desegregation of educational institutions, the passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964, the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History in DC and increased and diverse representation of Black experiences in media. Black resistance strategies have served as a model for every other social movement in the country, thus, the legacy and importance of these actions cannot be understated.

As societal and political forces escalate to limit access to and exercise of the ballot, eliminate the teaching of Black history, and work to push us back into the 1890s, we can only rely on our capacity to resist. The enactment of HR 40, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the Breathe Act, and the closure of the racial wealth gap is not the end. They too will require us to mobilize our resources, human and material, and fight for "freedom, justice, and equality"; "self-determination", and/or "social transformation."

This is a call to everyone, inside and outside the academy, to study the history of Black Americans' responses to establish safe spaces, where Black life can be sustained, fortified, and respected.

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When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience, but to bring to the public's attention important developments that merit emphasis.

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Great list of recommended podcasts for kids about Black Changemakers.

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Whose shoulders do I stand on? What do I stand for? So asks 22-year-old Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman in "Using Your Voice Is a Political Choice," an electrifying TED Talk featured on the podcast TED Talks Daily. For Black History Month, we spotlight Gorman's talk and other podcasts spotlighting Black changemakers: Those who have inspired, mentored, collaborated, led, invented, or innovated to bring about greater equality and justice in their own creative ways. The playlist reflects a variety of audio storytelling techniques, including short biographies, direct interviews, engaging activities, creative kid conversations, and profound voices of inspiration from poets and dreamers.

Listening to Gorman and other voices, you will be inspired to answer her questions for yourself, perhaps awakening the changemaker within.
Kidcasts: Black Changemakers
Alphabet Rockers, musicians

Ages 6-12-If you haven't discovered the empowering hip-hop message of the Alphabet Rockers, this episode provides a solid introduction for how this intergenerational group "make music that makes change." Their work is centered on social justice, with music and materials, such as their anti-racist mini-course for families. In this episode Alphabet Rocker founders Tommy Soulati Shepherd, a Black award-winning composer and creator of the hip-hop collective Felonious; and Kaitlin McGaw, an award-winning songwriter, graduate in Afro-American Studies from Harvard University, and writer for Electronic Musician are interviewed. To learn more about the kids and grownups involved with Alphabet Rockers, check out their podcast, "So Get Me: Alphabet Rockers' podcast for families making change." Their musical albums won American Library Association's Top Album in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Rosa Parks, civil rights leader

Black doctors, pioneers in the medicine

Ages 7-12- Have you ever touched a real heart? Kid hosts Avery and Jackson, ages 11 and eight, interview their guest, Dr. Hasrien Ibrahim, transplant cardiologist at Boston's Mass General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Kid-centered questions, along with information about Black culture and history, make Hey, Black Child (HBC) fun, informative, and engaging. Listeners to this episode will learn the names of Black trailblazing doctors such as Dr. Myra Logan, who in 1943 became the first woman to perform open-heart surgery, paving the way for other women to enter the field of cardiac surgery. Listeners find out what a transplant cardiologist does and the names of other Black trailblazing doctors and their scientific discoveries. The show's new Black History Month episode, " Black History Year," reminds listeners that by subscribing to HBC you can get "a dose of Black history every week!"

Muhammad Ali, boxer

All Ages-Many of your students may know what it means to be a GOAT, especially kids who love sports, but do they know where this phrase originated? This I Believe, a short audio segment from NPR now produced in podcast form, shares moving essays about the personal philosophies of remarkable men and women. In this three-minute episode from 2009, listeners hear an essay written by Ali, the original Greatest Of All Time. The essay is read by his wife, Lonnie Ali. Ali's incredibly inspiring words will surely spark a lot of questions, whether about Ali, marbles, boxing, or Parkinsons, offering librarians the opportunity to connect kids with books and other resources in the collection. With Cassius Clay back in the news with the release of the movie One Night in Miami, grownup podcasts are also reexamining and talking about Ali's life. For young listeners, be sure to have some GOAT books on hand like Becoming Muhammed Ali by Kwame Alexander and James Patterson, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, ready for check out.

Jason Reynolds, author

Ages 8-12-Jason Reynolds, best-selling author and the current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, he seems to pop up everywhere talking about the power of stories, including on an episode of Story Seeds. Story Seeds pairs a children's author with a child who has a great idea for a story and together they talk about the story idea. Then the author completes the story and records it for an episode. It's a unique mentorship model that keeps evolving and one that honors the ideas of children.In this episode, Reynolds takes 12-year-old Irthan's fantastical idea about an earthworm who becomes human during the full moon and he turns it into a poignant story about Martin Luther King's's vision for justice, connection, and music. Really, he does. Be sure to listen, and recommend to all of your students who love to write stories.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. "Madam C.J. Walker"
Madam C.J. Walker, entrepreneur

Ages 8-12-This show excels at telling the stories of empowering women in the podcast form; the stories come from the eponymous popular book compilations of biographies, often found in bookstores and libraries. The readers, all women, are often activists as well. In this episode, actor and advocate Poorna Jagannatha, from shows including Netflix's Never Have I Ever and Gypsy, reads a biography of entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker, who created a hair regimen for African American women to prevent hair loss. The audio shares Walker's rise from a laundress to the first woman of any race to become a self-made millionaire, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

More notable stories featuring Black women in podcast form include Simone Biles (Olympic gymnast), Kamala Harris (Vice President), Mae Jemison (astronaut), Wangari Maathai (environmental activist), Hazel Scott (pianist), Anne Wafula Strike (wheelchair racer), Sojourner Truth (suffragist), Harriet Tubman (abolitionist), and Edmonia Wildfire (sculptor).

Amanda Gorman, poet

Ages 10 Up-From the moment Amanda Gorman's finished reading her inaugural poem, you discovered, or were instantly reminded, that poetry is powerful. On this Ted Talks Daily episode, Gorman reminds us poetry is for everyone: it is the core of connection and collaboration, but it is also inherently political. Gorman, the youngest Inaugural Poet and the first National Youth Poet Laureate, shares her thoughts about poetry's impact on her life. She explains how poetry builds bridges and why it is political. Listeners learn a lot about who Amanda Gorman is as she interweaves anecdotes about her life into her story. Of course, she does this with powerful words and a mesmerizing rhythm, enchanting and inspiring all to join her.

Barack Obama, President

Ages 14 Up-Barack Obama discusses his memoir A Promised Land, which shares an account of his youth to his time in the White House as the first African American president, with host Trevor Noah. The Obamas are prolific podcast guests and podcasters. Michelle Obama started her own podcast on Spotify just in 2020. IN addition to his TV fame as host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah is well known in the audio sphere and for his award-winning audiobook version of his best-selling Born a Crime. Noah is a skilled interviewer and Barack Obama is an expert interviewee, so this makes a delightful conversation. [looks like it's 35 minutes-shorter than the reyonolds episode?. Obama's stated aim for the book and his interview is to encourage young Black people to believe that they can become president and learn what it is all about.

Audio storytelling brings changemakers to life, in mind and heart. If your students are studying inspiring leaders, search for their names in Listen Notes and filter for "Kids & Families" or "Education for Kids."

Consultant Anne Bensfield teaches librarians how to be the gatekeepers and mentors for managing new media in their schools and communities. Librarian and Buttons & Figs podcast creator Pamela Rogers inspires creative expression from elementary school kids by reading, writing, and playing with words.

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Whose shoulders do I stand on? What do I stand for? So asks 22-year-old Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman in "Using Your Voice Is a Political Choice," an electrifying TED Talk featured on the podcast TED Talks Daily.

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28 Days Later- Author Features from The Brown Bookshelf

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28 Days Later- Author Features from The Brown Bookshelf

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During the twenty-eight days of Black History Month, we profile a different children's or young adult author and children's illustrator, looking for the best new and unnoticed works by African-Americans. From picture books to novels, books fresh off the presses to those that have lurked in the background unsung for months or years. Specifically, we look for:

New books

Books that have "flown under the radar"

Children's or Young Adult books written/illustrated by an African-American (or someone of the African Diaspora)

Books published by a traditional publisher for the trade market

Nominations will be accepted from September 30th to November 1st. To nominate, post a comment here at the website, or email us at email@thebrownbookshelf.com. You can nominate as many books as you like.

Please check out past 28 Days Later campaigns to see who's already had the spotlight.

- The Brown Bookshelf

NOTE: Please note that due to the limited resources of the team, we can only take nominations for traditionally published books. We may highlight a small number of self-published authors for the 28 Days Later campaign, but these authors will be nominated and picked by the Brown Bookshelf team. If you have any questions on this matter, please email us at teambrownbookshelf@gmail.com.

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During the twenty-eight days of Black History Month, we profile a different children's or young adult author and children's illustrator, looking for the best new and unnoticed works by African-Americans. From picture books to novels, books fresh off the presses to those that have lurked in the background unsung for months or years.

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PBS offers the video along with lesson plans and other teacher resources to make the most of conversations with students

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Arthur on Racism: Talk, Listen, and Act | ARTHUR | PBS LearningMedia

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Explore the importance of discussing and dismantling racism using this video from the PBS KIDS series ARTHUR. When Arthur and Buster feel scared and confused when racist events happen in Elwood City, they call Mrs. MacGrady to help them make sense of the situation.

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I Have A Dream- an Interactive Multimedia Approach

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I Have A Dream- an Interactive Multimedia Approach

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Editors at KQED provide ideas for reimagining MLK Jr's famous speech.

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Another link leads us to a set of resources focused on the Birmingham Campaign of 1963, which was a series of protests against police brutality. The resources include a reading from Coretta Scott King's My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr., a linocut of King gazing out of the bars of a Birmingham jail, and a video in which King's lawyer and friend Clarence Jones describes witnessing King composing his famous " Letter from a Birmingham Jail ." Finally, there is a link to a rich set of lesson plans where students role-play to learn about the evolution of the Birmingham Campaign.

Such resources make up just one of 32 different links throughout the speech. That's how deep and engaging this multimedia version of "I Have a Dream" is! The first time I discovered this source, I simply watched, read and listened to King's words. Since then, I've explored all of the links and resources with my government and US history classes.

One simple, but effective way to use "Freedom's Ring" is to play it on the big screen for the whole class. Have the students "take notes" by writing down ten of the " blue words " from the on-screen text. That forces them to pay close attention, but also allows them to listen and see the affecting background visuals. You can stop it where you feel comfortable to interpret and discuss with the students what King was saying and how he was saying it. For example, I discuss the tone of the speech and how King was a minister who had made many, many speeches and sermons.

Once the speech is over, I give the students the link to "Freedom's Ring" and ask them to follow five of the links they wrote down while watching and look through the collection of resources there. Then they answer the following questions:

Based on the resources you looked at, what was the significance of the words highlighted in the speech?

How did the resources change the way you view Martin Luther King, Jr. and his "I Have a Dream" speech?

The next class period is a great opportunity to have the kids share their answers with each other and discuss how our understanding of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech has changed.

One of the clear benefits of teaching "I Have a Dream" in a multimedia format is that it becomes more accessible, for both students and teachers. The resources can be accessed in advance, and can help teachers better explain the speech and its context through a wide variety of primary materials. Students also have choice and freedom to explore the speech through its interactive format.

I'm really just scratching the surface of how to use "Freedom's Ring" as a cornerstone resource for teaching the greater African American Civil Rights Movement!

Editor's Note:
If you want to learn more about how to integrate multiple forms of media into your instruction, take our free, online course Using Media as Core Texton KQED Teach.

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An Interactive, Multimedia Approach to King's "I Have a Dream" Speech | KQED

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For many educators, teaching Martin Luther King, Jr.'s keynote address from the 1963 "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom," which is widely known as his "I Have a Dream" speech, can be daunting. The speech is monumental for its impact, and it is often the main avenue teachers use to teach about it's author.

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Best Apps and Websites for Black History

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Best Apps and Websites for Black History

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A curated list from Common Sense Media

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Best African American History Apps and Websites | Common Sense Education

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Best African American History Apps and Websites is a list of 18 apps, games, and websites curated by Common Sense Education editors.

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Inspiring Black History Month Classroom Activities

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Inspiring Black History Month Classroom Activities

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10 easy to implement ideas with links to content and support

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February is Black History Month: the celebration of African American history, contributions, and achievements that's recognized annually across the United States and Canada.

For teachers, it's a great opportunity to teach with intention, honoring the tradition and showing students its importance, along with the importance of Black history and culture.

And this year, it's more important than ever to uphold this tradition and celebrate Black history - no matter where your students are learning.

Use these 10 activity ideas to teach Black history all month and keep your students engaged, whether they're in-class or online!

Guidelines for teaching during Black History Month

When teaching Black history, remember to:

P.S. If you want to help parents talk about Black history and racial issues with their kids at home, use these 8 tips for parents as a helpful resource to start with - including additional resources for anyone who wants to learn more.

10 Black History Month activities for your students

Use these activities throughout the month (and the rest of the year) to keep Black history at the forefront of your lessons and encourage your students to keep learning more.

1. Quote or fact of the day

Every morning, greet your students with a new quote or fact that's relevant to Black history.

Say them aloud during your lesson, add them to your bulletin board or send them in an online message (or all of the above, if you're feeling ambitious). After this, you can open a discussion with your class about the relevance of each quote or fact.

Your students will love looking forward to what each day brings!

2. Person of the day or week

Take time to talk about Black influencers and their accomplishments. Highlight a different person every day or week and center your lessons around them!

Explore categories like:

Actors

Artists

Writers

Athletes

Activists

Musicians

Politicians

Filmmakers

Historical figures

Heroes and iconic leaders

Scientists and mathematicians

Tip: Try to look beyond typical historical figures and popular celebrities. There are plenty of Black contributors students may not have even heard of yet - use this chance to introduce them!
3. Black history trivia & games

Bring some fun (and maybe a little competition) into your lessons this month! Find trivia and games that focus on Black history, or repurpose other classroom games to incorporate Black History Month questions and answers.

4. Worksheet activities

Teach students about Black history while they work on fun activities at their own pace. Send worksheets to students online or print them out for independent classroom learning.

5. Virtual events

Classroom learning is great, but there's so much students can learn from their own experiences!

This year especially, there are plenty of online activities and events celebrating Black History Month. So why not choose a youth-appropriate one your class can participate in?

6. Timeline activity

Provide more context on important events in Black history with a bit of chronology.

Have students put together their own timelines, whether individually or in groups, that focus on specific historical events or people. They'll have fun putting all the events together and learn lots along the way!

7. Study (and create) art

Art in the Black community carries so much historical and cultural significance that can inspire some great, illuminative lessons.

Assign one of these activities from Creative Child, or get students to:

Write a story

Make a video or podcast

Create visual art or crafts

8. Use relevant media

There's so much good media out there to help you teach Black history - use it to your advantage!

Read books or watch videos with your class, then discuss the themes and lessons of each piece of media. After this, you can assign work based on them.
Try these books:

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

9. Host thought activities

Strengthen collaboration skills with various thought activities during February. These will get students thinking and help them learn new ideas and perspectives from each other.

Start by posing a relevant question to your class, like:

Why do we celebrate?

What does Black History Month mean to you?

How can we fight intolerance in our everyday lives?

Encourage plenty of participation, then discuss everyone's answers together!

Give your class a larger assignment they can work on for the entire month, like a collaborative media project or group presentation - like this one from The Core Coaches on Teachers Pay Teachers.

These bigger projects let students build on what they're learning and work together towards something they can be proud of!

Additional resources

Get inspired by these extra resources to help you even more:

P.S. Want to make your math classes more engaging? Research shows Prodigy make math more fun and can even contribute to better test performance! Discover more about Prodigy's adaptive math platform today!

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10 Inspiring Black History Month Activities for Students

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February is Black History Month: the celebration of African American history, contributions, and achievements that's recognized annually across the United States and Canada. For teachers, it's a great opportunity to teach with intention, honoring the tradition and showing students its importance, along with the importance of Black history and culture.

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List with of celebration options that contain specific ideas and more

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Black History Month Movies and Entertainment 

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Black History Month Movies and Entertainment 

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Are you worried about your kids being online? Fact Monster is a KidSafe-certified site for your kids to get homework help, play games and watch educational videos. Check it out...and give Same Game a try yourself!
sponsored content

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Are you worried about your kids being online? Fact Monster is a KidSafe-certified site for your kids to get homework help, play games and watch educational videos. Check it out...and give Same Game a try yourself! sponsored content

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Black History Month Activities for Young Children

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Black History Month Activities for Young Children

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A wealth of ideas for celebrating Black history with the youngest students.

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February is Black History Month! It's the perfect opportunity to teach the little ones about race and diversity. Below you will find at-home activities and book recommendations focused on black history, achievements, and race and diversity.
Valuing Differences:

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

Bright Eyes and Brown Skin by Cheryl Willis Hudson & Bernette G. Ford

Shades of Black by Sandra L. Pinkney

Put non-breakable mirrors and brown, black, white, and red paints near the art area. Using the paints, ask the children to create their own skin tone for self-portraits.
History:

The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles

Our Legendary Ladies Presents Harriet Tubman by Megan Callea

The Story of Rosa Parks by Patricia A. Pingry

We March by Shane W. Evans

Ask the children what the word "brave" means. Read any of the books listed above and talk about how the main characters were brave. For example, discuss why it was brave for Rosa Parks to select that particular seat on the bus.
Inventions*:

Black Inventors for Kids!: Amazing African American Inventors Who Changed History by Ian D. Fraser

What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Label African-American inventions, such as an ironing board, lawn mower (play, of course), fire extinguisher, dustpan, baby buggy, guitar, or a mailbox. Call out each invention. Then ask the children to find and bring them back to the group. Ask, "How is it used?" and "Why is it important?"

Other examples of African-American inventions include potato chips, golf tees, stainless steel pads, horseshoes (plastic), pencil sharpener, hairbrush, or an ice cream scooper.
It's Never Too Early: Book Recommendations to Discuss Race and Diversity with Children. Parents and families can use books as a conversation starter.

@MD_Early_Ed recommends "I Am Perfectly Designed," by Karamo Brown, a book that celebrates loving who you are, exactly as you are.

Dr. Marietta Collins, a clinical psychologist at Morehouse School of Medicine, via @NYTIMES recommends "Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice," a book about a police shooting.

@PBSKIDS recommends "All Are Welcome," by Alexandra Penfold, to celebrate diversity.

Dr. Y. Joy Harris-Smith, a lecturer at Princeton Theological Seminary, via @NYTIMES recommends "The ABCs of Diversity: Helping Kids (and Ourselves!) Embrace Our Differences."

@PBSKIDS recommends "I am Enough," by Grace Byers, a book about respecting others.

@VogueMagazine recommends "An ABC of Equality," a board book introduces complicated concepts surrounding social justice to young children.

@Todaysparent recommends "What's the Difference? Being Different is Amazing," by Doyin Richards, which distills diversity and acceptance (for ages 2-10).

@Todaysparent recommends "A Is For Activist," by INNOSANTO NAGARA. This board book introduces the letters of the alphabet with terms related to social justice, environmental justice, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and other causes activists support (ages 0-3).

@latimes recommends the New York Times and Amazon bestseller "Antiracist," by Ibram X. Kendi, a board book that empowers parents and children to uproot racism in our society and in ourselves.

@PBSKIDS recommends the New York Times and Amazon bestseller "Sulwe," by Lupita Nyong'o, a picture book about a little girl who learns to embrace her unique self.

@Todaysparent recommends "All the Colors We Are," by Katie Kissinger, a book that can free children from the stereotypes associated with skin color and help them build positive identities as they accept, understand, and value our rich and diverse world.

@Todaysparent recommends "Let's Talk About Race," by Julius Lester, a book that helps children ages 4-8 understand the similarities between people of different races, religions and cultures to help them connect with them and push past biases and stereotypes.

@Todaysparent recommends "I am Jackie Robinson," by Brad Meltzer, a picture book that offers readers an inside look into his life growing up and playing ball, and all of the challenges he faced (for ages 4-7).

@KidLitTV_NYC recommends "You Matter," by Christian Robinson, an impactful picture book about seeing the world from different points of view.

The book recommendations have been compiled from news articles and educational websites. The books were not reviewed and/or endorsed by the Maryland State Department of Education. Visit The Black Inventor Online Museum for a comprehensive list of black inventors. For individual inventors, please visit Preschool Plan-It.

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Black History Month Activities for Young Children - MARYLAND FAMILIES ENGAGE

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February is Black History Month! It's the perfect opportunity to teach the little ones about race and diversity. Below you will find at-home activities and book recommendations focused on black history, achievements, and race and diversity. Valuing Differences: Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman Bright Eyes and Brown Skin by Cheryl Willis Hudson & Bernette G.

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28 Days of Black History with Gale Biography in Context

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28 Days of Black History with Gale Biography in Context

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A list of 28 historical Black figures to explore with Gale Biography in Context (in Clever --> MackinVia)

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Gale In Context Resources for Black History- webinar recording

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Gale In Context Resources for Black History- webinar recording

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Your Gale In Context resources can help - libraries can easily share historical and inspiring documents, biographies, and more with a few simple tools.

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Celebrate Black History Month with Gale In Context Resources

In February, we honor the central role African Americans have played in history. It is a time for reflection and honor; many libraries use this time to educate and inspire students and their communities. Your Gale In Context resources can help - libraries can easily share historical and inspiring documents, biographies, and more with a few simple tools.

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In February, we honor the central role African Americans have played in history. It is a time for reflection and honor; many libraries use this time to educate and inspire students and their communities. Your Gale In Context resources can help - libraries can easily share historical and inspiring documents, biographies, and more with a few simple tools.

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Gale In Context resources for Black History- webinar recording

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Gale In Context resources for Black History- webinar recording

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Your Gale In Context resources can help - libraries can easily share historical and inspiring documents, biographies, and more with a few simple tools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Celebrate Black History Month with Gale In Context Resources

In February, we honor the central role African Americans have played in history. It is a time for reflection and honor; many libraries use this time to educate and inspire students and their communities. Your Gale In Context resources can help - libraries can easily share historical and inspiring documents, biographies, and more with a few simple tools.

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In February, we honor the central role African Americans have played in history. It is a time for reflection and honor; many libraries use this time to educate and inspire students and their communities. Your Gale In Context resources can help - libraries can easily share historical and inspiring documents, biographies, and more with a few simple tools.

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Drawing to Make It Happen- Black History Month

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Drawing to Make It Happen- Black History Month

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A new debut in honor of Black History Month. An informative article with the episode embedded

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Cartoon Network is rolling out the Drawing to Make it Happen short today as a part of Black History Month. The network is featuring the work of Sidney Keys III, a 15-year-old entrepreneur. In addition to that, Keys is the CEO of Books n Bros, which helps promote literacy among Black boys. This follows similar initiatives to showcase other youth making a difference in their communities, while having an eye towards education. To help narrate the star, Craig and Jessica from Craig of the Creek will guest star. The opening graphics for the clip were designed by Marco Cheatham, a Black St. Louis-based art director and illustrator. You can catch all the Drawn To episodes on the Cartoon Network App and Cartoon Network today. If you missed it, the spot will also live on the network's social media platforms.

"Black History Month is important to me because it gives the opportunity to reflect and see people who look like me in an impactful light," explained Keys. "It also gives permission to have a sense of pride to celebrate our African American history and culture. I am honored to be a part of this Drawn To project as a young Black boy in America during such an exciting time in history! The legendary and unsung heroes of social justice who aren't here today would be proud."

Cartoon Network describes their efforts:

"Building on the success of the series which launched early in 2020, Drawn To aims to authentically tell stories by weaving together universal themes such as "Community," "Family" and "Love" that resonate with both kids and parents. The series spotlights everyday kids and kid influencers celebrating achievements and ideas while engaging young viewers. By raising awareness on topics that kids care about, Drawn To spotlights the positive in today's generation and our future. Each Drawn To is produced in partnership with local artists to cultivate authentic connections with the topics being discussed."

What do you think of the new clip? Let us know down in the comments!

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Cartoon Network Debuts "Drawing to Make it Happen" Celebrating Black History Month

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Cartoon Network is rolling out the Drawing to Make it Happen short today as a part of Black History Month. The network is featuring the work of Sidney Keys III, a 15-year-old entrepreneur. In addition to that, Keys is the CEO of Books n Bros, which helps promote literacy among Black boys.

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YALSA's list of books celebrating Black voices with books featuring Black characters.

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Though we champion Black voices all year long, February is Black History Month, and YALSA member Annierra Matthews has pulled together a list to commemorate and elevate this celebration. Annierra is a Research Services Library at Mercer University in Douglasville, Georgia, and has a passion for YA!

Black History Month (BHM) is quite prominent in most Black households across the United States. Founded in 1924 by Carter G. Woodson, the accomplishments of Black leaders, musicians, writers, athletes, etc., are celebrated throughout February. For teens searching for ways to celebrate Black History Month, there are plenty of options: viewing online exhibitions and archives, binging documentaries and films, streaming special programs and recitals, and even supporting black-owned businesses.

For those who prefer to cuddle up with a book, here's a list of compelling fiction written by Black authors and featuring Black characters.
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
Malik must save his sister from a sinister spirit, and in order to do so, he must kill Crown Princess Karina. Karina, on the other hand, must offer a king's heart to revive her mother. When Malik and Karina face-off in the Solstasia competition, they contend with falling in love and completing their goal.
Slay by Brittney Morris
Kiera Johnson, 17, is the game developer of SLAY; however, the game isn't so fun anymore after an argument in the game causes the death of a teen. Suddenly, SLAY receives a bad reputation, being described as anti-white, racist, and violent. Kiera must keep her identity in the game hidden while also own her blackness.
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Claudia does everything possible to find her best friend, who has gone missing. What happened to Monday Charles?
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
In this alternative voice novel-in-verse, Camino Rios and Yahaira Rios are impacted by their secretive father's unexpected death.
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
Gay and bi-racial, Michael doesn't feel Black enough or Greek enough. When he comes out and learns about Drag Society, he becomes The Black Flamingo, a persona that leads him to find his true identity and belonging.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Maverick Carter, 17, sells drugs to provide for his family. When he becomes a teen dad, he's given an opportunity to do the right thing; however, he realizes that leaving behind his previous life isn't simple as it seems. Mav has to figure out the meaning of being a man.
Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
Del accidentally joins a Purity Pledge to be with his crush Kiera. He enlists the help of pledger, Jameer, so that he can get the girl of his dreams. Throughout his scheming, Del is faced with how to think about Kiera's wishes instead of his own.

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Though we champion Black voices all year long, February is Black History Month, and YALSA member Annierra Matthews has pulled together a list to commemorate and elevate this celebration. Annierra is a Research Services Library at Mercer University in Douglasville, Georgia, and has a passion for YA!

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Facing History & Ourselves: Black History Month Collection

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Facing History & Ourselves: Black History Month Collection

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Great collection of teaching ideas to connect the past and present and focus on specific historical events and figures.

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This February, schools across the country recognize "Black History Month" with lessons, activities, and events meant to spotlight important figures in Black history and milestone events in the trajectory of Black life in America.

Here at Facing History, we know that Black history is central to all of American history, and should be part of a robust teaching curriculum year-round. Alongside the lessons of Black history, it's also critical to honor the resilience, creativity, and vitality of Black people in the face of inequity and violence, past and present. That's why, this year, we're celebrating Black History Month by honoring the themes of Black Agency & Black Joy.

Stay tuned this month as we share an array of teaching resources and blog posts designed to promote innovative instruction and reflection on these topics and help you strengthen your Black history curriculum for February and beyond.

Sign up to be notified when our new resources are available

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February 2021: Honoring Black Agency & Black Joy

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Black history is central to all of American history, and should be part of a robust teaching curriculum year-round. Alongside the lessons of Black history, it's also critical to honor the resilience, creativity, and vitality of Black people in the face of inequity and violence, past and present.

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As much as we want to think we've moved beyond the need for Black History Month, we haven't. Black History Month is still necessary, especially

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Analyzing and celebrating Black history helps students think critically about present-day social issues.

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Images, videos, exhibits, lesson plans and more celebrating African American achievements

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Book Talk - Online

February 2

Online Panel Discussion

February 6

Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets Opening Panel
Join us for a virtual panel discussion to kick off the Anacostia Community Museum's outdoor installation of the Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets exhibition. The social unrest of 2020 has illuminated the active presence of institutionalized racism in America and its impact on the Black community. CNN Correspondent Omar Jimenez will moderate this discussion between panelists Jonathan Jackson, founding partner of the design firm We Should Do it All; Dr. Rob Gore, founder of the youth intervention program, Kings Against Violence Initiative; and artist Tariku Shiferaw.

(Smithsonian Institution)

Historical Reenactor

February 11

Young Learners Program - Meet Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman is portrayed by Daisy Century, a talented teacher and inspirational actor with American Historical Theatre. Harriet Tubman's indomitable spirit, valor, and fearless actions as an abolitionist, Union nurse and spy, suffragist, and humanitarian continue to inspire children and adults today. A question-and-answer session with Harriet Tubman will follow the presentation.
View on YouTube

(National Archives)

Book Talk - Online

February 18

Giants of Racial Justice
In an event celebrating African American History Month, Peniel E. Joseph ("The Sword and the Shield") and Tamara Payne ("The Dead Are Arising") will discuss their books on Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. with NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans. This event will be premiered on Facebook and YouTube and on the Library of Congress website.

(Library of Congress)

Lecture - Online

February 25

On the Road with Jason Reynolds
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds will discuss his ambassadorship, including his recent "GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story" virtual tour, with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Through his platform, "GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story," Reynolds has directed his focus as ambassador by empowering students to embrace and share their own personal stories. This event will be premiered on Facebook and YouTube and on the Library of Congress website.

(Library of Congress)

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February 2 February 6 Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets Opening Panel Join us for a virtual panel discussion to kick off the Anacostia Community Museum's outdoor installation of the Men of Change: Taking it to the Streets exhibition.

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Fantastic resource with read alouds embedded in each slide. Added bonus: a list of additional resources and organizations to follow for more info

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Anti-Racist Resources: Working for Racial Equity

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Anti-Racist Resources: Working for Racial Equity

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This Padlet has been crowd-sourced by CCSD's teacher librarians and has articles, videos, book lists, next steps, and more for adults, kids, and classrooms.

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Must Read Picture Books by Black Authors and Illustrators

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Must Read Picture Books by Black Authors and Illustrators

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An annotated list from Read Brightly celebrating Black history, families, and joy.

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Must-Read Picture Books Written by Black Authors | Brightly

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In recent years, more literary works penned by Black authors are being recognized with prestigious awards and well-deserved spots on bestseller lists. While there is still a lot of work to be done, I'm grateful more Black authors are voicing their stories through children's books to inspire the next generation of readers and writers.

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Warren County Public Library has created this interactive room- simply click on the different objects to explore.

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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The full story is even more inspiring than what you thought you knew

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Opinion | The Real Rosa Parks Story Is Better Than the Fairy Tale (Published 2021)

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The way we talk about her covers up uncomfortable truths about American racism.

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C-SPAN Classroom Black History Resources

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C-SPAN Classroom Black History Resources

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Lesson plans, video clips, and bell-ringers covering a wide range of events and people important to Black History in the US.

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C-SPAN Classroom Featured Resources - U.S. History

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Below you will find C-SPAN Classroom resources relating to the following chronological sections. Click on each title to expand the section and view the featured resources.

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Black History Month: Teaching Beyond Slavery

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Black History Month: Teaching Beyond Slavery

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It's critical that teachers show that people of African descent have contributed more than forced, free labor to U.S. history.

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Black History Month should serve as an exhilarating time to fill in the gaps left by textbooks and state curriculum standards. It should also inspire teachers to continue this education beyond February, teaching black and non-black students how they can affirm the existence and humanity of black lives year-round.

It's OK to teach about the resilience of black people despite the structures in place to uphold a racial hierarchy; we already know, for example, that more work is needed to help students learn the history of American slavery and the civil rights movement accurately.

But it's also critical that teachers show that people of African descent have contributed more than forced, free labor to U.S. history. Students deserve opportunities to examine black literature, art, innovations and customs that have helped shape the culture of the United States-and the world.

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Black History Month: Teaching Beyond Slavery

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Black History Month should serve as an exhilarating time to fill in the gaps left by textbooks and state curriculum standards. It should also inspire teachers to continue this education beyond February, teaching black and non-black students how they can affirm the existence and humanity of black lives year-round.

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Black History Month: Teaching the Complete History

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Black History Month: Teaching the Complete History

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Teachers can widen their exploration of Black lives while also providing historical context so students will make meaningful connections to current issues.

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In 2019, LFJ (then Teaching Tolerance) rolled out a series of articles challenging teachers to go beyond overused and whitewashed historical narratives when observing Black History Month. In 2020, we expanded that call by recommending that teachers widen their exploration of Black lives while also providing historical context so students will make meaningful connections to current issues.

It's not uncommon for educators to focus on slavery, segregation and other forms of oppression during Black History Month.

But only teaching a Black history steeped in trauma and struggle provides a very narrow view of Blackness and perpetuates the false notion of Black people's inferiority. This limited teaching of history can actually be violent.

Stephanie P. Jones, founder of Mapping Racial Trauma in Schools and an assistant professor of education at Grinnell College, examines the severity of such approaches in " Ending Curriculum Violence."

Jones' research shows that, too often, "the transatlantic slave trade and its resulting horror within the American slavery system are essentialized as all Black history itself."

She found that the hard histories of slavery, the civil rights movement and other traumatic events in Black history are frequently mistaught or introduced with little context. Curriculum violence occurs when, as too often happens, educators ask students to act out this history or empathize with enslavers' and other oppressors' perspectives.

As a result, students come away with a warped understanding of how racial inequity manifests today. And repeated instances of curriculum violence contribute to a larger traumatic experience at school-experiences that can affect Black students' mental health.

This doesn't mean you should skip teaching hard histories for fear of inflicting curriculum violence. Instead, you can take care to teach the truth and avoid harm in the process. Jones' article offers guidance on how to accomplish that. One way to start right away is to tell the whole story-not just a small part-of Black history. A first step is to commit to decentering racial trauma during Black History Month.

We will share some of our favorite resources focusing on aspects of Black history and culture that aren't centered on violence, trauma and struggle. We hope you'll use them to help your students recognize the many ways in which Black people have contributed to, inspired and created American culture while also leading the way in advocating for civic participation, inclusion and equitable spaces.

Teach the History of Liberation Movements

The fight for Black liberation has always been an integral part of U.S. history, but too often we don't explore that narrative. Black liberation in the United States is much more than a fight to defeat slavery or Jim Crow. It's also exemplified in efforts to reject anti-Blackness: the refusal of Black people's humanity, dignity, agency and voice. People perpetuate anti-Blackness in the degradation of Black aesthetics, denial of Black people's grievances and pain, and the erasure or discrediting of Black culture.

There are numerous ways to tell the story of Black liberation movements. In addition to revolts by enslaved people in the U.S. and beyond, educators can learn and teach more about the everyday and revolutionary ways in which enslaved people fought for liberation. You can start with the episode " Resistance Means More Than Rebellion" on the Teaching Hard History: American Slavery podcast. And students can watch historian Tera Hunter describe the life and escape of Henry "Box" Brown here.

You can also work with students to examine other efforts and movements in which Black people resisted subjugation. These efforts include the work of the Black Panther Party and the Black Power and "Black Is Beautiful" movements. Students can learn more about Black queer liberation and womanism movements, which provided a template for activism today, such as Black Lives Matter.

Honor Black Civic Engagement

The civil rights movement is perhaps the example of Black activism that is most commonly taught in schools. Students should see that advocacy for Black civic engagement-although often attributed to individual figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.-was a collective effort that required the sacrifices of everyday people. For example, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was successful because Black communities united and pooled resources for a common cause and attacked segregated busing from multiple angles. This campaign required information sharing, volunteering and political engagement.

From the fierce activism and organizing of Ida B. Wells to the creation of the NAACP, Black people and organizations have a long history of uplifting their communities through civic engagement.

This Black History Month, educators can introduce students to those who aren't always highlighted, such as Francis Watkins Harper, Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker. Show students how their intersectional identities both helped and hindered their causes.

Recognize Intersectional Black Identity

Students must understand that, like other marginalized groups, Black people have identities that intersect, creating complex lived experiences and compounding the effects of oppressive systems.

Scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term intersectionality in 1989 to study the social, economic and political ways in which identity-based systems of oppression and privilege connect, overlap and influence one another.

But recognizing intersectionality doesn't mean educators have to focus only on oppression when acknowledging intersecting identities. Show students that the overlapping of identities helps inspire and influence culture, activism and the consciousness of our society. Intersecting identities lend empathy and an appreciation for all human experiences, as shown in the activism of James Baldwin and Maya Angelou.

To start, some resources you can share with your students might be those that amplify the perspectives of the Black LGBTQ community, Afro-Latinx people and Black Muslims.

Celebrating Black Literature

Because literature is so central to the ways in which children learn about the world, Black History Month is a great time to recommit yourself to studying and teaching works by Black authors who can offer authentic depictions of what it means to be Black in the U.S. and beyond-as opposed to canonical texts that either ignore these perspectives altogether or tell them from the outside looking in. Works by authors like Ralph Ellison, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison and Gloria Naylor can provide more accurate pictures of Black life and perspectives, even in the science fiction worlds of Butler's work.

Students can also delve into the biographies of authors like Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and Nikki Giovanni to explore how their activism influenced their work and vice versa.

This exploration doesn't have to be limited to older literature. Examine the works of contemporary writers such as Elizabeth Acevedo's " Hair," which delves into the politics of Black hair. Eve Ewing's " Electric Arches" provides a magical look into Black girlhood while Ta-Nehisi Coates' body of work -from essays to graphic novels-offers a Black male perspective on topics such as history, politics and fatherhood.

This exploration also shouldn't be limited to U.S.-born writers. Help students connect the common threads among Black people across the globe. The works of writers such as Chinua Achebe, Jamaica Kincaid and Wayétu Moore center Black lives throughout the African diaspora in historical narratives.

There is plenty of history to uncover. Studying these four areas of Black life-liberation, civic engagement, intersectional identities and Black literature-can help move classroom discussions past trauma toward enlightenment and empowerment. This doesn't suggest that the realities of racism and racialized violence aren't worthy of discussion. However, students deserve to learn more accurate, balanced and humanizing accounts of Black experiences.

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Black History Month: Teaching the Complete History

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In 2019, LFJ (then Teaching Tolerance) rolled out a series of articles challenging teachers to go beyond overused and whitewashed historical narratives when observing Black History Month. In 2020, we expanded that call by recommending that teachers widen their exploration of Black lives while also providing historical context so students will make meaningful connections to current issues.

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Biographies of Influential Blacks from Around the World

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Biographies of Influential Blacks from Around the World

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Videos, articles, and other resources for students in 3-12 grade from Common Sense Media.

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Black History & Culture activities for Grades 3-5

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February is Black History Month! Celebrate the history and culture of the African diaspora and the achievements of people with African roots with these activities, videos and resources.

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Over 120 amazing books for children

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AALBC is curating a list of the best 100 Children's books published in 2023. The books include board books, early reader, middle grade, and young adult titles ( defintion of children book categories). Here is a printable list of all the books on this list. Here is a beautiful collage of the book covers. Read more about this list ▶

Books 1 to 20 (of 113)

More Information

If you feel strongly about uplifting children through books please read and share, "Ten Steps to Promote Diversity in Children's Literature." Also, be sure to check out The Brown Book Shelf a great source to discover children's books and authors.

Keep in mind, no one list can possible include all the excellent books written by or about Black young people. Please feel free to share your favorites in the comments below.

Check out these other excellent sources for children's books;

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Top 100 Recommended African-American Children's Books - 2023

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Updated for 2023! Children Book authors, avid readers, and industry professionals contributed their favorite children's Books to a list of the, "Top 100 Recommended African-American Children's Books."

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Collection of Resources from Shannon Miller

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Collection of Resources from Shannon Miller

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Book titles, articles, and lesson ideas for celebrating Black History Month

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Collections by Follett is a new, collaborative way for educators to collect and share resources from anywhere, at any time, and with anyone.

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Teaching resources with articles, lesson plans, and ideas for younger students.

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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This Edutopia article has ideas for how to bring technology into your lessons and activities for Black History Month.

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For primary documents, lesson plans, and curriculum ideas, these sites offer excellent resources:

If you're trying to figure out ways for you and your students to use tablets, laptops, and smart boards without sacrificing all of your planning hours, here are a few of my favorite edtech tools that will inspire your students all month long and beyond.

1. History All Around Us

More Than a Mapp offers a free iPhone/iPod app that allows users to discover and document the African American history embedded in the places where we live. The location-enabled app highlights sites of significance to black history in your city through a map interface like Google Maps or Google Earth. Users can explore historic locations through a rich multimedia experience that offers directions and links to audio, texts, and videos of relevance to the selected location. You can even add locations to the map that will be available to all users once verified as accurate. Also included are an educator's guide and a link to the companion film More Than a Month, which explores one man's goal to expand the appreciation of black history. Recommended for grades 4-12.

2. An Interactive Library

Books That Grow offers a diverse digital library with texts that can be read at three to five levels of difficulty. Students can alter the text level while reading, or you can assign each student a specific level. The types of texts include classic fiction, primary source documents, biographies, myth, and folklore, as well as original science and history books. Some titles are accompanied by teacher guides. Titles of particular interest include:

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

A History of Hip-Hop

The Truth About Race: It's Not What it Looks Like

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?

Biographies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Jackie Robinson are also available. Registration is free. Recommended for grades K-12.

3. Infamous Voyages

The TransAtlantic Slave Trade Database offers free information for more than 35,000 slave voyages that transported over 12 million Africans to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries. The database offers a chance to investigate the entire breadth of slavery as experienced throughout the world in Europe, Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, and the Americas. There are interactive maps, customizable charts and graphs, and an African names database that tracks where Africans landed or died at sea. Lesson plans and guides are also available. Recommended for grades 6-12.

4. America's Art Gallery

The Smithsonian American Art Museum allows you to create podcasts with your students that will help you foster multiple literacies. They can record essays, poems, and other expressions to one of the artworks in the museum's vast collection. The site includes step-by-step instructions on how to design your project and provides completed podcasts from elementary, middle, and high school students. There are literally thousands of images that you can explore for free. Two past exhibitions offering images produced by black artists and about black subjects are "African American Masters: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum" and "African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond." Recommended for grades 4-12.

5. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

The Digital Backpack Classroom is a learning experience designed to allow participants to explore and analyze the relationship between the transatlantic slave trade, the Underground Railroad, and modern-day slavery. The center offers a catalog of free iTunes downloads of student-created videos, gallery talks, panels from scholars, artists, award-winning authors, and archives from the center's internet radio station. For additional ideas, the center offers "traveling trunks" for $50 that provide lesson plans and curriculum for three themed-units:

Freedom Suitcase: Civil Rights Over Time

The Price of Freedom: The Civil War

Freedom Box: The Underground Railroad

Recommended for grades 2-12.

6. Free Pass to the National Archives

Docs Teach offers free, self-guided activities for thousands of primary documents from the National Archives. Each activity was created by educators and provides teacher tools, tips, and guiding questions for every document. You can explore multiple periods ranging from the American Revolution to the present. You can even create and upload your own activities. Free registration provides access to the complete archives. Recommended for grades 6-12.

These are just a few of the countless edtech tools that can be useful during Black History Month. Try them all, but don't be shy about searching for more. Document your students' experiences and share what activities really kept them engaged. I'm eager to hear your success stories and to learn about other dynamic resources that you found effective.

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6 Edtech Tools for Black History Month | Edutopia

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For primary documents, lesson plans, and curriculum ideas, these sites offer excellent resources: If you're trying to figure out ways for you and your students to use tablets, laptops, and smart boards without sacrificing all of your planning hours, here are a few of my favorite edtech tools that will inspire your students all month long and beyond.

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A huge collection of primary resources related to African American culture and history. Great source for pictures and documents to support your lessons and student research.

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BlackPast is dedicated to providing a global audience with reliable and accurate information on the history of African America and of people of African ancestry around the world. We aim to promote greater understanding through this knowledge to generate constructive change in our society.

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There are many great, lesser known topics covered, including African American pioneers in aviation and artists.

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If you're interested in that broadest of all musical categories, "world music," you won't find a better site than Smithsonian Folkways, which contains 40,000 tracks from the Smithsonian Folkways archives. Albums and individual songs are available for purchase and download. For Black History Month, Folkways Recordings offers free videos, music, and spoken-word recordings. Lesson plans and student activities are included.
Heritage Month on Smithsonian Folkways

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Smithsonian Education - African American Heritage Teaching Resources

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If you're interested in that broadest of all musical categories, "world music," you won't find a better site than Smithsonian Folkways, which contains 40,000 tracks from the Smithsonian Folkways archives. Albums and individual songs are available for purchase and download. For Black History Month, Folkways Recordings offers free videos, music, and spoken-word recordings.

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National Association for Music Education

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National Association for Music Education

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Focusing on the musical contributions of African Americans, there are lesson plans that showcase the Harlem Renaissance and the rise of Jazz.

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February is Black History Month. Explore the many contributions of African-Americans with several cross-curricular lessons, printables, quizzes, and activities below! Utilize these resources for grades K-12.

Have a great classroom activity or lesson plan for Black History Month you'd like to share with fellow music teachers? Send it to catherinah@nafme.org to be published. You can also submit lesson plans to the new My Music Class.

Students learn the structure of the blues stanza, both in music and in the blues-based poems of Langston Hughes. This set of lessons is divided into grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Younger students compose their own three-line blues poems. Older students listen for details of the Great Migration in recordings of rural and urban blues from Smithsonian Folkways.

Grades: 11-12

Grades: 9-12

Overview and Purpose: American history is full of many great black musicians that performed between 1900 and 1950. In this activity, students prepare a Power Point presentation about the life of one of them.

Objective: The student will be able to present a report on a black musician who performed between 1900 and 1950.
Resources:

List of various black musicians from the first half of the 20th century

Internet access for each student

Various props the student may need to present their report

Activities:
Have students choose a black musician from the list (or they can find one on their own). Have them research the musician's life and musical career and present a Power Point presentation about them. The students should include information about the musician's personal life, style of music, professional accomplishments, and community or social involvement.
Wrap Up:
The classroom could be turned into an old-fashioned nightclub to set the atmosphere for the student's presentations. Students could also be encouraged to dress and talk in the style of the day that their musician lived.

Grades: 6-8

Overview and Purpose: In this activity, students examine Negro spirituals and consider whether they contained hidden messages about escape routes to freedom.

Objective: The student will be able to explore the lyrics to Negro spirituals and examine how they could have been used to communicate escape routes to slaves.

Resources:

Copies of Negro spirituals

Internet access for each group of students

Activities:
Pass out the lyrics of Negro spirituals to your students. Read through them as a class and have the students try to point out phrases that may have been codes for the slaves. Divide the class into groups and have them research the spirituals to see if they chose the correct phrases. Come back together as a class and discuss their findings.
Wrap Up:
An extension of this activity could be to have the students work together to write their own coded message in a song that only you and them will understand.

Note: There is some debate among scholars and historians as to whether Negro spirituals contained coded messages or just offered hope of a better life.

More Resources:

Teachers Pay Teachers: Black History Month Music Activities, Free Handouts, Quizzes, Games and More!

SOURCES:
Smithsonian Education: The Blues and Langston Hughes National Education Association. 'Black History Month Lessons & Resources, Grades K-5: Integrating African-American Culture & History into Your Curriculum'
By Phil Nast, retired middle school teacher and freelance writer
TeacherVision: Black History Month - Teacher Resources Musical Harlem: How jazz music is reflective of the Harlem Renaissance
By Daniella Garran
Jazz Music, Dance, and Poetry: Exploring basic movements, melodies and poetic methods
By Brian Ziegler, Original Writer and Jen Westmoreland Bouchard, Adaptation
Jazz in Time: The History of a Great American Musical Movement
By Daniella Garran

For more ideas and resources, visit NAfME's Black History Month page in My Classroom.
Did this blog spur new ideas for your music program? Share them on Amplify! Interested in reprinting this article? Please review the reprint guidelines. The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) provides a number of forums for the sharing of information and opinion, including blogs and postings on our website, articles and columns in our magazines and journals, and postings to our Amplify member portal. Unless specifically noted, the views expressed in these media do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Association, its officers, or its employees.
Kristen Rencher, Social Media and Online Community Engagement Coordinator. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)

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Lesson Plans for Black History Month - NAfME

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Students learn the structure of the blues stanza, both in music and in the blues-based poems of Langston Hughes. This set of lessons is divided into grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Younger students compose their own three-line blues poems. Older students listen for details of the Great Migration in recordings of rural and urban blues from Smithsonian Folkways.

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Explore the contributions of African Americans to the arts. Short biographies, simple lessons, and audio clips cover art, music, and dance.

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ARTSEDGE: Themes: African American History

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Learn about the African American experience through the arts - and discover the contributions of African Americans to the history and culture of the United States.

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A collection of primary sources, images, lesson plans, and quizzes covering the TransAtlantic Slave Trade through the Civil Rights Movement. African American contributions to the military are also highlighted.

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African American History Month | Teachinghistory.org

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February is African American History Month. Recognize the major historical figures and the everyday men, women, and children who made history.

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Multiple lesson plan ideas from Jim Crow to Civil Rights to current issues. Many include video clips and lots of student analysis for in depth coverage of the topic.

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Teaching Tolerance provides a quick overview of things to think about as you plan activities for Black History Month

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Incorporate black history year-round, not just in February. Use the month of February to dig deeper into history and make connections with the past.

Continue Learning. Explore how to provide an in-depth and thorough understanding of black history. Textbooks are notorious for omitting information about the struggles of communities, and what they include is limited, so use the textbook as one of many resources. While exploring multiple resources, allow for opportunities to learn along with your students.

Reinforce to students that "black" history is American history. Make black history relevant to all students.

Relate lessons to other parts of your curriculum, so that focusing on a leader, like Fred Shuttlesworth, expands upon rather than diverts from your curriculum. By the time February comes around, the context of the struggle for civil rights and social justice should be familiar to students if you have already addressed such issues across the curriculum.

Connect issues in the past to current issues to make history relevant to students' lives. For example, ask students to gather information with a focus on what social disparities exist today and how a particular leader has worked to change society.

Include the political and social context of the community's struggle for social justice. For example, talk about Daisy Bates' political affiliations and her political ideologies. You see her bravery not as just a personal act but as coming out of community determination.

Stop your "regular" curriculum, to do a separate lesson on Rosa Parks, on the Civil Rights Act or on Martin Luther King Jr. This trivializes and marginalizes anything you are teaching, making these leaders a token of their culture and ethnicity. Students will get the message that the diversion it is not as important as the "regular" curriculum.

Decontextualize heroes or holidays, separating them from the larger social movement or historical place. Great leaders don't make history all by themselves. For example, if you teach about James Farmer, you must also address the work of the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and the Freedom Rides.

Focus on superficial cultural traits based on stereotypes. It's ok to celebrate black music, but teachers should also explore the political and social contexts that give rise to musical forms like hip hop.

Talk about black history in solely "feel-good" language, or as a thing of the past. This fails to help students examine how racism manifests itself today.

Limit the presentation to lectures and reading. Be sure to allow students an opportunity for discussion and reflection.

Teach with little or inaccurate information. Review resources to make sure they don't promote a Eurocentric perspective, which may misrepresent historic figures and social movements.

Shy away from controversial, ambiguous, or unresolved issues. Share the real-life experiences about racial realities in developmentally appropriate ways.
Adapted from material by Pat Russo of the Curriculum & Instruction Department at SUNY Oswego. (Sept. 2007)

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Do's and Don'ts of Teaching Black History

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Incorporate black history year-round, not just in February. Use the month of February to dig deeper into history and make connections with the past. Continue Learning. Explore how to provide an in-depth and thorough understanding of black history.