Happy 100 years of Black History Month!

Celebrate “A Century of Black History Commemoration” this February by highlighting how the legacy and underreported achievements of Black people have shaped history in America and around the world.

Create an inclusive classroom culture and well-rounded curricula with these tips for teaching Black History Month.

Focus on triumphs rather than just trauma.

Teaching about African enslavement all the way up to modern hardships that the Black community has endured (and still endures) is important, but these historical events and time periods alone don’t do justice to the complex contributions of influential Black Americans in politics, culture, STEM, and the arts. Ensure a well-rounded curriculum by highlighting contributions of people and organizations like mathematician Katherine Johnson, the artists of the Harlem Renaissance, and President Barack Obama.

Study primary sources created by Black people.

Centering the Black voice and experience in your teachings is essential so that students can learn about historical events and time periods through the voices of those who lived through them. Compare perspectives outlined by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois, listen to the speeches of Frederick Douglass, study poetry by Langston Hughes and Amanda Gorman, or explore the music and lyrics from Billie Holiday up through Kendrick Lamar. 

Make connections to present-day struggles.

Engage students by showing how historical leadership, activism, and policy have shaped modern movements, from Nat Turner’s Rebellion to the Selma March to Black Lives Matter.

Incorporate marginalized voices year-round.

Black History IS history. Present well-known historical events and groups, such as the Freedman’s Bureau, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the Black Panther Party, through the perspectives of Black change-makers that are often overlooked in traditional textbooks. Challenge students to view pivotal moments through a new lens. How does this change their perception?

This Black History Month, audit your old curriculum and adjust your teaching methods to be culturally responsive, inclusive, and comprehensive.