Here are lesson plans and lesson ideas to use in Black History Month and beyond.  A big shout out to many members of the VUSD community for creating, curating, and refining the lessons. (Thank you, Matilda Dracula, members of the VUSD African American Parent Council (AAPC) and the VUSD Ethnic and Social Justice Studies (ESJS) committees, Dr. Michele Dean and The Links (for providing the books for our guest readers) and many others for their support in recommending these great books and creating and curating the lesson plans!)

Whereas we know the Library of Congress months and days can be tokenizing, we believe that when taught in conjunction with ongoing and continuous Ethnic and Social Justice Studies and culturally responsive pedagogy, events such as Black History Month can be used to illuminate the unique histories of Black people and the important contributions made by Black people in our community, our country and our world.  We hope this website  provides valuable resources for students, families and educators to learn more about and celebrate Black History.

Every year, a different theme is chosen for Black History Month. This year's theme is: A Century of Black Commemorations. We will highlight courageous examples of Black resistance and celebrate the resilience and strength of the Black community over the past 100 years. The resistance of Black people over the years and today in the fight for self-determination, including through political activism. art, music, photography, academia, science, and sports, will be honored. 

Again, we'd like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Michele Dean and the Channel Islands Chapter of the The Links, Incorporated for their efforts to donate books, share lessons and provide outstanding professional learning for educators in our county in support of Black History Month. We appreciate YOU!