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What is Black History Month?
For Kids! Background on Black History Month
These resources are geared toward early elementary, but can be extended to grade 8. Includes links to general information about Black History Month as wellas biographies and database links for further exploration.
Origins of Black History Month
A nice grounding piece by Daryl Michael Scott, Professor of History at Howard University, that covers Carter G. Woodson's ideas behind the celebration and the origins of the celebration in Negro History Week.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture
The online collections are outstanding. and highly varied. This could be an opportunity to engage with artifacts from various periods in Black American History. The digital collection includes photography, documents, images of artifacts, and a host of other materials. I recommend browsing by theme using the link above. (Example: LGBTQ+ Collection)
The Federal Government's African American History Month Website
This site takes a firmly historical approach including a wealth of collections, videl, and lesson plans. Their About Page collects links to a number of other federal websites dedicated to Black History Month.
Bonus Content
This goes somewhat beyond straightforward academics, however, these options may be useful to understand contemporary ways that Black History Month is and can be celebrated. Blackness is not a monoculture so we can expect an expansive variety of celebrations and potentially rejections of the concept.
With the Twitter options the degree of age-appropriateness can vary greatly. Please vet & curate content thoroughly before using with students.
#BlackHistoryMonth - A big twitter catch-all. It's a way to see enormous diversity of thoughts. A quick skim this afternoon included discussion of Rosa Parks (today is her Birthday); Boston Bruin Willie O'Ree; Critiques of tone-deaf celebrations, and ways teachers are designing rooms. Expect this to grow and change as the month progresses. Could be an interesting daily check-in. (Alternate #BlackHistoryMonth2020)
#29DaysOfBlackCosplay - Black representation in pop culture spaces is a great way into broader discussions of supremacy and identify. Black Cosplayers are using the hashtag throughout February to increase visibility. What would it mean to have a Black Captain America? A Black Wonder Woman? To see previous non-leap years use #28DaysOfBlackCosplay
#BlackTransHistory - The TGI Justice Project that works for "justice for trans, gender variant & intersex people in California prisons, jails, detention centers and beyond" is using this hashtag to highlight a variety of Black trans folks. The hashtag has expanded beyond their own account in some compelling ways.
Learnig For Justice Piece "What White Colleagues Need to Understand" about White supremacy among educators.
The City of Boston has a list of resources with various local events related to Black History Month.
*Shout out to Gabe McCormack for compiling and annotating these resources.
Teaching Resources
One of my first stops when I am looking for support for teaching social justice. Their key piece for this year encourages us all to "go beyond trauma and struggle to examine the liberation, civic engagement, creativity and intersecting identities of Black people during Black History Month." In this piece Teaching Tolerance links to a wide range of supporting materials that could be useful as teacher background and for use with students.
The 2019 Article is also quite rich.
Another reliable organization for material on social justice, Facing History put together a specific resource collection for Black History month including materials on reparations, continued segregation, and intersectional Black issues. There is also extensive guidance on using Eyes on the Prize.
Additional video Read Alouds:
Queen Yaa saves the golden stool
Queen Kitami makes friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKgnChoyauc
Ancient Egypt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBYmOuajdC8
King tut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn_dGEyyTBg
Also I love this brain break if other teachers want to use it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNSYfkn1O7Y
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