Black History Month 365: resource guide for educators & families
resources gathered by BEM and the Center for Racial Justice in Education
How Do We Celebrate Black History Month? Teaching Black History Month in Schools:
The History Behind Black History Month – Teaching Tolerance
Do’s and Don’ts of Teaching Black History – Teaching Tolerance
Five Things Not to Do During Black History Month – Zaretta Hammond
Mining the Jewel of Black History Month – Emily Chiariello
Four Black History Month Must-Haves – Zaretta Hammond
Black History Month Is Over. Now What? – Dena Simmons
How Do We Center Black Women and Black Girls in Our Schools?
Celebrate Women This Black History Month – Teaching Tolerance
Black Womanhood: The Syllabus – Julieta Salgado
Don’t Forget About Black Girls – Teaching Tolerance
The Black Girl Pushout – Melinda D. Anderson
Centering Black Girls’ Literacies: A Review of Literature on the Multiple Ways of Knowing of Black Girls – Gholnecsar E. Muhammad and Marcelle Haddix
The Biased Policies That Are Pushing Black Girls Out of School – Dayna Evans
Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, OverPoliced, and Underprotected – Kimberle Crenshaw with Priscilla Ocen and Jyoti Nanda
From Preschool to Prison: The Criminalization of Black Girls – Mackenzie Chakara
Getting Black Trans Women’s Needs Met: An Interview With Phoebe VanCleefe – Huff Post
#SAYHERNAME: Towards a Gender Inclusive Movement for Black Lives – Brittney Cooper
Murders of trans women highlight the intersection of racial and gender-based violence – Women’s Media Center
Centering Black Women, Girls, Gender Nonconforming People, and Fem(me)’s in Campaigns for Expanded Sanctuary and Freedom Cities – Andrea J. Ritchie and Monique W. Morris, Ed.D
As a Parent, What Are Ways I Can Engage My Family in Black History Month?:
45 Books to Teach Children About Black History – The Culture
African American History Month Resources for Parents – Adlit.org
Learning More About Black History for Parents and Families – NYC Dept. of Education
5 ways to celebrate Black History Month with your family – ChicagoNow.com
What Can We Do In Our Classrooms? Lesson Plans and Curriculum Resources for Educators:
50 Resources for Black History Month – KQED Education
Black History Month resources for teachers – WeTeachNYC
Black History Month Lessons & Resources – National Education Association
Black History Teaching Resources – Smithsonian Education
What Counts as History? – Teaching Tolerance
Black History Month Resources – ReadingRockets.org
6 Teaching Tools for Black History Month – Edutopia
What Are Ways To Bring Black Lives Matter Into The Classroom? (Curriculum Resources):
Black Lives Matter in Schools Resources – D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice
Black Lives Matter in Education-Week of Action Getting Started Packet – Black Lives Matter in NYC Schools
Black Lives Matter at School-Resources – Ed Justice
Resources for Educators: Elementary and Early Childhood – Teaching for Change
Classroom Flyers, Posters, and Visuals – BLM Educators Group
Resources for Educators: Middle and High School – Teaching for Change
BLM National Curriculum Folder – NyCoRE
How Do We Center Black LGBTQ Experiences?
100+ LGBTQ Black Women You Should Know: The Epic Black History Month – Marie Lynn Bernard
Supporting Black LGBTQ Students – GLSEN
Trans Women of Color Collective: Shifting the Narrative – Trans Women of Color Collective
What it’s like being Black and queer in school – Shantal Otchere
Black LGBTQ History: Teachers Must Do a Better Job – Teaching Tolerance
Blackedout History Celebrating Black LGBTQ History Month – GSA Network
Navigating Community Institutions: Black Transgender Women’s Experiences in Schools, the Criminal Justice System, and Churches – Louis F Graham, et al.
Why I’m Nonbinary but Don’t Use ‘They/Them” – Ashleigh Shackelford
Do We Need Black History Month? The Underrepresentation and Miseducation of Black Stories, Experiences, and Histories in Schools:
It’s Black History Month. Look in the Mirror. – The NY Times
Black History Month Isn’t Racist, It’s a Form of Reparations – Jenn M. Jackson
Teaching Hard History – Teaching Tolerance
‘Black Season’ at My White Middle School – Baratunde Thurston
Black history is bigger than slavery. We should teach kids accordingly – The Guardian
What Kids Are Really Learning About Slavery – Melinda D. Anderson
Why Teach Black Lives Matter in Schools? (Think Pieces):
Why Teaching Black Lives Matter Matters | Part I – Teaching Tolerance
Bringing Black Lives Matter Into the Classroom | Part II – Teaching Tolerance
Making Black Lives Matter in Our Schools – Rethinking Schools
How One Elementary School Sparked A Citywide Movement To Make Black Students Lives Matter – Rethinking Schools
Teaching #BlackLivesMatter – Teaching for Change
Black Students’ Lives Matter – Rethinking Schools
Where Are Afro-Latinos Represented in School Curricula?
Diaspora Blackness in the Caribbean: A Radical Resource – Medium
Afro-Latino: A deeply rooted identity among U.S. Hispanics – Pew Research Center
Anti-Blackness in Latinx Countries is the Result of Deliberate Cultural Policy – Racebaitr
Let’s talk about phenotype and global Blackness – Black Youth Project
This Is What It Means To Be Afro-Latino – HuffPost
Black history month is a token tribute, but Afro-Latinos don’t even have that – The Guardian
A Look at Who Gets Left Out of Black History Month – Alternet
Click here for more resources.
National Geographic is launching a powerful new podcast, Into the Depths, which uncovers the deep history of the transatlantic slave trade as it follows a group of Black divers who are dedicated to finding and helping to document slave shipwrecks. The podcast will also be accompanied by a cover story in the March issue of National Geographic magazine, available online on Feb. 7, and a National Geographic documentary special, Clotilda: Last American Slave Ship, premiering Feb. 7, on National Geographic and available to stream next day on Hulu. The podcast features over 40 voices, including underwater divers and archaeologists–descendants of those brought over on the ships, historians, and a variety of experts whom National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts works with to uncover these stories.
The Center for Racial Justice in Education believes that the histories, stories, and voices of Black people should be centered, honored, and uplifted in school curricula every day. The Center also acknowledge the importance, relevance and origins of Black History Month. Resources to use throughout the school year include those that celebrate Black History Month, tools that highlight the underrepresentation of Black stories and experiences in schools, how and why to bring attention to equality and racial justice movements, and more.
Black Lives Matter at School is a national coalition organizing for racial justice in education. The site encourages all educators, students, parents, unions, and community organizations to join the annual week of action during the first week of February each year. Educators and organizers from around the country worked collaboratively to curate a variety of classroom resources for every age group. These resources are all free of charge and meant to be shared and used. The goal of these lessons and activities is to challenge racism and oppression and providing students with the vocabulary and tools needed to take action.
The African American History Month’s website puts the power of primary sources to work in the classroom. Educators can browse ready-to-use lesson plans, student activities, collection guides and research aids. Access thousands of primary sources and an ever-expanding collection of document-based activities spanning the course of American history created by the National Archives and teachers around the world. Discover the activities, such as Analyzing a Letter from Jackie Robinson: “Fair Play and Justice,” The Impact of Bloody Sunday in Selma, We Shall Overcome: March on Washington, and Examining Where Rosa Parks Sat.
Black history is American history, but finding (or creating) interactive lessons that help students draw connections between history and modern day can be challenging. That’s why WeAreTeachers offers the 306: African American History and 306: Continuing the Story high school curriculums from EVERFI. You’ll have everything you need to plan lessons and engaging activities for grades 8-12 that are meaningful, turn-key, and free.
The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration launched a Black History Month package of fresh and engaging virtual and interactive real-world expeditions for students that cover significant historical, cultural and societal events. CILC’s 10 virtual fieldtrips transcend other well-intentioned, but often one-dimensional and overly simplified narratives of African American historical figures by providing students with a detailed look at the encounters, achievements, and heroism of everyday African Americans throughout history.
Free Articles, lesson plans, skill sheets, & online activities for grades 1-12
Scholastic Magazine provides resources that celebrate Black History Month. Here is a free collection of nonfiction dedicated to various brave folks of all ages who have made a big impact on the world.