With input from the VUSD Ethnic and Social Justice Steering Committee, the African American Parent Council, students, families, and staff
Con contribuciones del Comité Directivo de Justicia etnica y social, El consejo de padres Afro Americanos, estudiantes, familias, y facultad
The 2026 Black History Month theme, chosen by ASALH, is "A Century of Black History Commemorations," marking 100 years since the first Black History Week in 1926, with the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and other institutions hosting events to honor this milestone and Black contributions to labor and culture. The theme highlights 100 years of celebrating Black history, inspiring events, resources, and new exhibits like "At the Vanguard: Making and Saving History at HBCUs" at NMAAHC, according to Smithsonian.
PBS Learning Media
Often referred to as "The Black National Anthem," Lift Every Voice and Sing was a hymn written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954), composed the music for the lyrics. A choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School, where James Weldon Johnson was principal, first performed the song in public in Jacksonville, Florida to celebrate President Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
At the turn of the 20th century, Johnson's lyrics eloquently captured the solemn yet hopeful appeal for the liberty of Black Americans. Set against the religious invocation of God and the promise of freedom, the song was later adopted by NAACP and prominently used as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Source: NAACP
Black History Month is an opportunity to honor the achievements and recognize the struggles of the African American community.
You can find a variety of wonderful Black History Month resources for educators and families compiled by Ashlee Nishiya, VCOE Coordinator of Library, Media, Reading, and Literacy, at this link.
Black History Month celebrates and recognizes the contributions that Black / African Americans have made to American society and culture. While celebrating the history of Americans of the global majority, we also acknowledge the injustice faced by Black and Indigenous people of color throughout U.S. History.
In the Ventura Unified School District we are committed to being inclusive of the unique qualities, abilities and diverse backgrounds of ALL students and honoring, valuing and celebrating diversity and treating ALL people with dignity and respect. In VUSD, we proudly strive to focus on incorporating culturally relevant strategies and pedagogy in all we do.
Whereas we know the Library of Congress months can be tokenizing, we believe that when taught in conjunction with Ethnic and Social Justice Studies and culturally responsive pedagogy, Black History Month can be used to illuminate the unique histories of the people in our community who come from Black / African American backgrounds. We are proud to celebrate Black history and heritage!
Another goal of this website is to collect and share resources for families, students, and educators in response to our continued efforts to nurture diversity, equity and inclusion in our district and community. We hope these resources will be helpful in guiding important and difficult conversations about racism and social inequities, as well as nurturing culturally responsive practices and celebrating Black joy. This site is a living document, and we will strive to continuously update it. If you have a concern, a suggestion, or a resource you'd like to share, please email GreatIdeas@venturausd.org or go to the Contact page. Thank you for your support, and we are honored to be learning alongside you as we engage in this crucial work.
1. Open a search engine and go to translate.google.com. You don't need a Google account to access it; it's free for everyone.
2. In the text box on the left, type the full URL (including http://) of the website you want to view.
3. On the right, choose the language in which you want to view the website.
4. Click "Translate". Click on the new link on the right, and enjoy!
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El Mes Nacional de la Historia Afrodescendiente celebra y reconoce las contribuciones que los afrodescendientes han contribuido a la sociedad y la cultura estadounidense. Mientras celebramos la historia de la gente de la mayoria global, no debemos olvidar la injusticia que enfrentan las personas negras e indígenas de color en los Estados Unidos.
En el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Ventura estamos comprometidos a ser inclusivos de las cualidades, habilidades y antecedentes diversos únicos de TODOS los estudiantes y honrar, valorar y celebrar la diversidad y tratar a TODAS las personas con dignidad y respeto. En VUSD, nos enorgullecemos de enfocarnos en incorporar estrategias y pedagogía culturalmente relevantes en todo lo que hacemos.
Si bien sabemos que los meses de la Biblioteca del Congreso pueden ser simbólicos, creemos que cuando se enseñan en conjunto con Estudios de Justicia Étnica y Social y una pedagogía culturalmente receptiva, el Mes de la Historia Afrodescendiente se puede utilizar para iluminar las historias únicas de las personas de nuestra comunidad que provienen de orígenes afrodescendientes, ya sea que elijan ser llamados AfroAmericans, AfroLatina/o/e/x, o Afrodescendientes. ¡Celebramos toda la herencia Afrodescendiente!
La meta de este sitio es a colectar y compartir recursos para familias, estudiantes, y educadores en respuesta de los continuos esfuerzos para fomentar la diversidad, la equidad y la inclusión. Esperamos que estos recursos sean útiles para guir conversaciones importantes y difíciles sobre el racismo y las desigualdades sociales, y también fometar prácticas culturalmente sensibles y celebrar la alegría Negra. El sitio está cambiando, y vamos a intentar a actualizarlo continuamente. Si tiene una preocupación, una sugerencia, o un recurso que quiere compartir, favor de mandar un correo electrónico a GreatIdeas@venturausd.org o va a la página de Contacto. Gracias por su apoyo, y estamos honorados a aprender con ustedes cuando hacemos este trabajo importante.
1. Abre un buscador y ve a translate.google.com. No necesita una cuenta Google para accederlo; es gratis para todos.
2. En la casilla de texto a la izquierda, escribe el URL completo (incluyendo el http://) del sitio web que quiere ver.
3. A la derecha, elige el idioma en que quiere ver el sitio web.
4. Haz clic en "Translate" (traducir). Haz clic el nuevo link a la derecha, y ¡disfrute!
