black history assignments

10 Inspiring Black History Month Activities for Students

Written by Laney Kennedy

• Teacher Resources
• Teaching Activities

• 7 Black History Month topic ideas
• Guidelines for teaching during Black History Month
• 10 Black History Month activities for your students

February is Black History Month : the celebration of African American history, contributions, and achievements that’s recognized annually across the United States and Canada. 

For teachers, it’s a great opportunity to teach with intention, honoring the tradition and showing students its importance, along with the importance of Black history and culture. 

And this year, it's more important than ever to uphold this tradition and celebrate Black history — no matter where your students are learning.

Use these 10 activity ideas to teach Black history all month and keep your students engaged, whether they're in-class or online!

Typically, teachers tend to stick with the same few topics during Black History Month: civil rights, historical Black leaders or celebrities, and important milestones.

While these are still great topics to explore, there are also plenty of other important concepts you should consider introducing to your students this year, such as: 

• Current Black political issues
• The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity
• Stereotypes and microaggressions
• The history and impact of Black culture
• The history of hip hop 
• African Americans and the Vote
• Black Health and Wellness (this year's Black History Month theme!)

For Black History Month 2022, this year's theme is Black Health and Wellness. People are encouraged to explore how North American healthcare has underserved the black community and recognize the contributions to medicine and healthcare by black people.

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When teaching Black history, remember to: 

• Follow the  do’s and dont’s
• Always promote  diversity in your classroom
• Remind students that  Black history  is  American history
• Leverage Black voices as much as you can (use relevant media, invite guest speakers etc.)

P.S. If you want to help parents talk about Black history and racial issues with their kids at home, use these 8 tips for parents as a helpful resource to start with — including additional resources for anyone who wants to learn more.

Use these activities throughout the month (and the rest of the year) to keep Black history at the forefront of your lessons and encourage your students to keep learning more.

1. Quote or fact of the day

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

Maya Angelou

Every morning, greet your students with a new quote or fact that’s relevant to Black history. 

Say them aloud during your lesson, add them to your bulletin board or send them in an online message (or all of the above, if you’re feeling ambitious). After this, you can open a discussion with your class about the relevance of each quote or fact.

Your students will love looking forward to what each day brings!

Try these: 

• Black history facts
• 15 Inspiring quotes
• 5 Black history quote posters
• Black history quotes - mini posters

2. Person of the day or week 

Take time to talk about Black influencers and their accomplishments. Highlight a different person every day or week and center your lessons around them!

Explore categories like:

• Politicians
• Historical figures
• Heroes and iconic leaders
• Scientists and mathematicians

Tip: Try to look beyond typical historical figures and popular celebrities. There are plenty of Black contributors students may not have even heard of yet — use this chance to introduce them! 

3. Black history trivia & games

Bring some fun (and maybe a little competition) into your lessons this month! Find trivia and games that focus on Black history, or repurpose other classroom games to incorporate Black History Month questions and answers.

• Black history multiplication - true or false
• Black history quizzes (these online quizzes are perfect for remote learning!)

4. Worksheet activities

Teach students about Black history while they work on fun activities at their own pace. Send worksheets to students online or print them out for independent classroom learning.

• Black history coloring pages
• Barack Obama crossword and trivia

5. Virtual events

Classroom learning is great, but there’s so much students can learn from their own experiences! 

This year especially, there are plenty of online activities and events celebrating Black History Month. So why not choose a youth-appropriate one your class can participate in?

• National Museum of African American History: Classroom Connections
• Black History Every Month: Virtual Events That Inspire Action, Education, and Connection

6. Timeline activity

Provide more context on important events in Black history with a bit of chronology.

Have students put together their own timelines, whether individually or in groups, that focus on specific historical events or people. They’ll have fun putting all the events together and learn lots along the way!

7. Study (and create) art

Art in the Black community carries so much historical and cultural significance that can inspire some great, illuminative lessons.

Assign one of these activities from Creative Child , or get students to:

• Write a story 
• Make a video or podcast
• Create visual art or crafts

8. Use relevant media

There’s so much good media out there to help you teach Black history — use it to your advantage!

Read books or watch videos with your class, then discuss the themes and lessons of each piece of media. After this, you can assign work based on them.

Try these books:

• All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
• The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

9. Host thought activities

Strengthen collaboration skills with various thought activities during February. These will get students thinking and help them learn new ideas and perspectives from each other. 

Start by posing a relevant question to your class, like: 

• Why do we celebrate?
• What does Black History Month mean to you?
• How can we fight intolerance in our everyday lives?

Encourage plenty of participation, then discuss everyone’s answers together! 

10. Assign a  class project

Give your class a larger assignment they can work on for the entire month, like a collaborative media project or group presentation — like this one from The Core Coaches on Teachers Pay Teachers .

These bigger projects let students build on what they’re learning and work together towards something they can be proud of!

Additional resources

Get inspired by these extra resources to help you even more:

• Black History milestones
• Black History in the National Archives
• Teaching tools for Black History Month
• Black History in America teaching guide
• Black History Month resources and lessons
• 10 Picture book biographies to celebrate Black History Month
• 20 Important lessons to teach kids about Black History Month

P.S. Want to make your math classes more engaging? Research shows Prodigy make math more fun and can even contribute to better test performance! Discover more about Prodigy's adaptive math platform today!

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Jan. 31, 2023, 7:37 a.m.

Classroom resources for Black History Month

Commemorate Black History Month in your classroom with lesson plans and resources that cover topics ranging from civil rights events to discussions about race in current events. These lessons are appropriate for history, ELA and social studies classrooms, and include resources for students in middle or high school.

The March on Washington basic resources | Resources

This resource page includes a quick guide to the March on Washington, an interactive timeline of the civil rights movement and a glossary of terms. Use these to get started on your classroom curriculum.

A history of discrimination and its consequences | Lesson Plan

In this lesson for middle and high school students, students analyze what "The American Dream" means and what role racial discrimination may play in failing to attain that dream.

“I have a dream” speech as a visionary text | Lesson Plan

Help your students connect to the rich imagery of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech by learning the history of the speech and then illustrating some of its most famous lines in this creative lesson plan.

“I have a dream” as a work of literature | Lesson Plan

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s delivered his most memorable speech, “I Have a Dream,” on August 28, 1963 before more than 200,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., as part of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

The Harlem Renaissance | Lesson Plan

Students will learn about the social, cultural and political circumstances which gave rise to the Harlem Renaissance. They will also learn about the influences that inspired the work of the Harlem Renaissance’s artists and musicians. Finally, students will be given several opportunities to create their own Harlem Renaissance inspired work.

Racial equality — How far have we come and how far do we still need to go? | Lesson Plan

Martin Luther King., Jr. dreamed of an America where people could "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Use this lesson plan to start a discussion in your classroom about where we are on the path to realizing this dream.

History of Juneteenth and why it's set to become a national holiday | Lesson Plan

Explore and discuss the history and context around the Juneteenth holiday in the United States. Topics explored will include the history of racial injustice in the U.S., the Civil War and the limitations of the Emancipation Proclamation. Additionally, students will be encouraged to explore the modern significance of Juneteenth and its long-term impact.

Explore art and movement inspired by Jacob Lawrence's Migration series | Lesson Plan

Have students engage in a "close reading" of a timeless Jacob Lawrence painting through art-making, observation and analysis, and learn about the history of the Great Migration in the process.

Teaching About Selma | Lessons and Resources from Teaching for Change

Try out these interactive lessons and recommended resources from

Teaching for Change

that invite students to step into the history and think critically and creatively about the continued fight for justice today.

Introduction to Selma | Lesson Plan

Help introduce and engage students in the story of the March from Selma to Montgomery with clips from the film, "Selma", courtesy of Paramount Pictures. In the main activity, students will be asked to view three short videos about the March and critically think about the audience, message, and stereotypes seen.

Discrimination — fair or unfair? | Lesson Plan

Make issues of fairness, justice and discrimination personal to your students with this lesson plan, which includes an activity with Dr. Seuss! This lesson is designed for students for students who have difficulty with verbal or written expression.

Leadership at the March through music and speeches | Lesson Plan

While Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech became the most famous of the March on Washington, he was by no means to only person to address the massive crowd assembled on the National Mall. Use this lesson plan to look at the other civil rights leaders and orators who spoke that day and how effectively they conveyed their messages.

The March on Washington and its impact | Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students compare King's "I Have a Dream" speech to other famous texts in American history, including the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address. This is a great addition to any speech, English or history class.

Analyzing "Stop and Frisk" through personal narratives and infographics | Lesson Plan

This Common Core-aligned lesson helps students explore the New York City’s “stop, question and frisk” program through videos, graphics and a news article. An engaging introduction creates a foundation to help students understand infographics and their utility as a cross-curricular tool.

Remembering Nelson Mandela | Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will use text from Mandela’s autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom” to connect with Mandela’s life and words. It also contains a 20-minute video from the PBS NewsHour to help students understand the magnitude of his life.

The Trials of Muhammad Ali | Discussion Guide

and discussion guide to pique students' interest in the story of Muhammad Ali, who was both an athlete and a defender of human rights. You can purchase the film on iTunes, but it is not recommended for class use due to language and some mature content unless it has been approved by you and your school to use in the classroom.

Student Reporting Labs "Race and Change" videos | Resource

Use this dynamic resource to get students thinking about Martin Luther King, Jr. and whether his dream has been accomplished today. These 12 high school students are part of PBS NewsHour's Student Reporting Labs and come from around the country.

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40 Black History Month Activities for February and Beyond

Celebrate and inspire with these Black history lesson ideas.

We know that Black history is American history and needs to be embedded into your classroom experiences year-round. At the same time, Black History Month provides the necessary opportunity to dig deeper with students. Every February, we can support students as they learn more, discover cultural impacts, and follow social movements from the past to the present day. These Black History Month lessons and activities cannot be isolated or one-off classroom experiences. Think of how you can connect these topics to what you’re already doing and make it authentic. And most important, do not just focus on oppression: Focus on the joy too!

Since 1928, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History has provided a theme for Black History Month. In 2024, the theme is African Americans and the Arts .

1. Learn the basics about Black History Month

Watch an introductory video about Black History Month. Then ask students to write their questions about Black history and use those to curate your resources and lessons for the month.

2. Re-create civil rights freedom posters

The Civil Rights Movement Veterans site offers powerful examples of freedom movement posters, as does the Civil Rights Digital Library . Review them with your students, and then have them get into groups and create their own to share.

3. Explore Black history through primary sources from the National Archives

Primary sources are great discussion starters to talk about Black experiences. Choose from thousands of resources , including this 1970s photo series of Chicago.

4. Learn about famous Black artists

Future Jacob Lawrences and Elizabeth Catletts will appreciate learning more about artists and expanding their own talents. Plus, check out these other Black artists .

5. Watch a Black History Month video

Get more specific information or do a deep dive into an area of Black history with a video about civil rights, slavery, accomplished Black Americans, and more.

Check out this list of Black history videos for students in every grade level.

6. Learn about Black Lives Matter

The Black Lives Matter site explains the group’s history while books like Dear Martin and  The Hate U Give explore the movement from a fictional perspective.

7. Learn about the inventor of the traffic light

Garrett Morgan invented the traffic light and patented the three-position traffic signal. Teach students about his achievements as an example of how Black Americans impact our everyday experiences. Watch a video about Morgan and talk about what inspired his invention and how being an African American impacted him as an inventor. ADVERTISEMENT

Buy it: Garrett Morgan Activity Pack at Amazon

8. Create a newsletter or magazine with content from Black authors

Have your students generate their own newsletter or literacy magazine to distribute to parents. Include poems and short stories by Black authors, as well as student-generated writings and images that center on Black History Month.

9. Read a Black History Month poem

To enhance our conversations this month, we’ve put together this list of powerful Black History Month poems for kids of all ages.

10. Listen to young poet Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman is another accomplished Black American and a great introduction to Black poetry. Watch the poem she read at Barack Obama’s inauguration, read her book Change Sings , and learn about her at Poets.org.

Buy it: Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem at Amazon

11. Turn your classroom (or school!) into a history museum

Have your students choose a notable Black pioneer they’d like to know more about, such as voting rights and women’s rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, dancer Alvin Ailey, or Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest full-time national parks ranger . Then, host a living museum right in your classroom.

12. Decorate your classroom door for Black History Month

Turn your classroom door into an educational experience. Check out how these teachers decorated their classroom doors in amazing ways to showcase Black History Month, and review this video with ideas.

13. Read books with Black characters in honor of Marley Dias

Dias is a young activist who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign as a sixth grader. She has compiled an excellent guide to books with Black girl characters . Check out WeAreTeachers’ list of books with Black protagonists as well.

14. Learn the story of the Henrietta Marie

The Henrietta Marie was a slave ship that sunk off the coast of Florida. Learn about the ship, its journey, and the underwater memorial that honors African slaves. Get more information about the Henrietta Marie at National Geographic.

15. Experience the I Have a Dream speech from multiple perspectives

Read A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech that Inspired a Nation by Barry Wittenstein. Then, watch the I Have a Dream Speech online, and explore resources about the speech at National Geographic . Engage students in discussing why this speech is so important in American history and why it continues to resonate today.

Buy it: A Place to Land at Amazon

16. Meet Oprah

Oprah Winfrey is a name every student knows, learn more about this influential Black American in this interview:

17. Read Black History Month books

If you’re looking for more reading activities, these picture books help celebrate Black History Month and educate your students on how these influential Black people helped shape history.

18. Learn the art of stepping

Stepping is a form of dancing in which the body itself is used to create unique rhythms and sounds. The website Step Afrika!  has videos and information about the history of stepping.

19. Take a virtual field trip to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The digital collections of the Schomburg Center, located in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, feature some amazing online exhibits, interviews, and podcasts.

20. Virtually visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

You can browse the collection online by topic, date, or place.

21. Host a poetry reading featuring works by Black poets

Have students choose a poem by a Black poet to learn and recite for the class. Choose a student to serve as the emcee, write up a program, and set the tone with dimmed lights and jazz music played between performances. The Poetry Foundation has excellent resources that can help get you started.

Here’s inspiration with Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise:

22. Check out online Black history exhibits

Educating yourself and your students with these shows is one more way to understand Black history and the current moment.

23. Dive into Georgia Stories: Black History Collection on PBS

As a state, Georgia played a huge role in the 2020 presidential election, and its Black history dates back to the earliest days of slavery in the colony.

24. Discuss implicit bias, systemic racism, and social justice

Start a much-needed discussion around implicit bias and systemic racism with these resources that can empower students to fight for justice in our society.

25. Read and discuss Freedom in Congo Square

The award-winning picture book Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and R. Gregory Christie is a nonfiction children’s book that describes the tyranny of slavery to help young readers understand how jubilant Sundays were for slaves.

Buy it: Freedom in Congo Square at Amazon

26. Watch Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History

Kevin Hart highlights the fascinating contributions of Black history’s unsung heroes in this entertaining—and educational—comedy special.

27. Recognize Black visionaries

This great poster featuring activists, artists, authors, and revolutionaries will highlight Black changemakers in your classroom. Use companion activities to deepen understanding by researching several of the visionaries and asking students to write a story or create their own poster about what they’ve learned.

28. Review a timeline of Black history

Why is Black History Month in February? How long ago was it founded, and who started it? Find the answers to these questions and learn more with this timeline .

29. Explore the music of Black artists

This lesson traces the long history of how Black artists have used music as a vehicle for communicating beliefs, aspirations, observations, joy, despair, resistance, and more across U.S. history.

30. Sample Black-founded snack brands

Honor Black History Month with delicious snacks from Black-founded brands delivered to your classroom—5% of proceeds are donated to the Equal Justice Initiative and one meal is donated to Feeding America for every box delivered.

31. Understand the role of Black women in NASA’s history

How much do your students know about Black contributions to space exploration? Rent the film Hidden Figures and watch with your students to remember, honor, and share the incredible accomplishments of three Black women working on NASA’s space flight program. Before watching the movie, research the liberties the film took in telling the story and discuss with your students the function of the choices. Did the filmmakers make the right choices?

Watch it: Hidden Figures at Amazon

32. Support local Black-owned businesses

Research your city’s Black-owned businesses and see if you can purchase a sample of their products, invite some of the entrepreneurs to speak to your class, or book a field trip!

33. Stream Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices on Netflix

“ Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices is a live-action collection of 12 five-minute episodes featuring prominent Black celebrities and artists reading children’s books from Black authors that highlight the Black experience.”

34. Celebrate the “Black Lives Matter at School” movement

“Black Lives Matter at School” is a national coalition organized for racial justice in education. It encourages all educators, students, parents, unions, and community organizations to join an annual week of action during the first week of February each year.​ For a variety of Black History Month activities, visit their website to learn more about their campaign .

35. Watch a historic moment

When Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, it was a monumental day for Black History. Watch his inauguration and discuss what this meant for American history.

36. Analyze Hair Love

You can approach the book Hair Love by Matthew Cherry in a few ways. Talk about the importance of representation in picture books and media, have students share their connections with the story, or analyze the book as a story about modern Black families.

Buy it: Hair Love at Amazon

37. Study the Underground Railroad

Examine the Underground Railroad using various sources, like the picture book biography Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome. National Geographic has a collection of resources about the Underground Railroad . And you can take a virtual tour of the Harriet Tubman museum.

Buy it: Before She Was Harriet at Amazon

38. Research Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a holiday that celebrates the freedom of enslaved people. Learn about Juneteenth , how it came about, and what it means to Black Americans with these National Geographic resources.

39. Listen to musician Rhiannon Giddens

As she was trying to understand and make sense of violence against Black Americans in 2020, folk musician Rhiannon Giddens wrote and released the song “Build a House.” The song came out on the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth. The song, which was made into a picture book, captures 400 years of Black history in a lyrical and thoughtful way. Use Giddens’ book either to introduce or wrap up a month on Black history.

Read an essay about the song , and watch the video.

Buy it: Build a House at Amazon

40. Study the pivotal court case Loving v. Virginia

Loving v. Virginia, decided in 1967, made marriage between people of different races legal. Learn about the Loving decision and why it’s important at National Geographic.

Plus, get inspiration from these Black History Month bulletin boards for your classroom .

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Free Learning Resources for Black History Month (And Beyond)

Topics:   Digital Citizenship News & Media Literacy Tech & Learning Equity & Inclusion Social & Emotional Learning

Help learners celebrate Black history with these videos, lessons, podcasts, and more.

The inclusion of Black history and culture is essential for an accurate and true representation of American (and world) history overall. Black History Month is a time to highlight the people who have not only created foundational innovations, art, and achievements, but also organized and protested for equal rights and freedoms.

Of course, the civil rights movement and figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks are integral pieces of this history. But there are lesser-known -- and incredibly impactful -- people and contributions that illustrate an even greater breadth and depth of Black history and culture.

Below you'll find resources -- including videos, texts, lessons, podcasts, and more -- about activists, art and culture, inventors, engineers, historical events, and beyond. And to extend your search even further, don't miss the list of broader collections found at the bottom of this article. Every resource we've curated here has a suggested grade band, but many are flexible and adaptable to just about any age group. Consider the possibilities for how you might integrate these resources into your instruction (or use them at home!) during Black History Month or any time of the year.

A reminder for teachers: Navigate stories and images of oppression and violence with care.  Black history is a complicated mix of both triumph and tribulations. While Black history doesn't begin or end with slavery or the injustices of racism, these harsh realities are part of it. Keep in mind your students' abilities when it comes to processing what they're reading, seeing, and listening to, and be aware that triggering topics can sometimes be more traumatic for Black and Brown kids . 

Essential Sites and Curricula for All Ages

• Browse, select, and read from this great collection of nonfiction and fiction texts written by Black writers, artists, and activists on CommonLit.
• Get lost in this gold mine of in-depth and highly accessible video interviews and biographies of notable African American people on the History Makers website.
• The Center for Racial Justice in Education has a guide for educators that hosts a huge collection of lessons and resources. 
• Smithsonian's History Explorer has a ton of activities labeled with the appropriate grade band and including interactives and artifacts.
• MAEC has collected lists of podcasts, articles, books, and more that span several grade levels.
• The Library of Congress has some great resources that can help you dig deeper into familiar topics to find primary sources and more.
• Hear from Black authors on the Reading Rockets site to learn about their processes and perspectives.
• Check out the lesson plans (by grade band) hosted by the NEA that include printables, activities, and more.

Activities and Resources for Preschool to Third Grade

Audio and Stories for Preschool to Third Grade

• Listen along as James Earl Jones reads " To Be a Drum ," a story of rhythm, history, and freedom.
• Enjoy the African Folktales With Miss Jo Jo podcast to hear stories that originated in Africa and were passed down through generations.

Videos for Preschool to Third Grade

• Let this mother-daughter team, the hosts of Kids Black History on YouTube, teach some facts about Africa in a video that's sure to make you smile. (Grades pre-K-1)
• Watch this YouTube video from Nickelodeon to  find out how Suzan-Lori Parks became the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for writing dramatic plays.
• Learn about the first Black pilots in this YouTube video from Sesame Studios. What would it be like to build and fly your own plane?
• Find out about the inventor of the modern traffic light  and what else he created in this YouTube video from Kids Black History. 
• Check out Craig Thompson's alphabet of amazing Black inventors to revisit some who are familiar and discover others you didn't know. 
• This YouTube video from Nickelodeon highlights the brilliant and driven Alexa Canady, the first Black woman to become a neurosurgeon in 1981.

Hands-On Activities for Preschool to Third Grade

• Follow along with this YouTube video and use your body to play the Hambone -- an African drumming technique with historical significance.
• Try this George Washington Carver-inspired craft that just requires a paper plate, paper, and some paint!

Activities and Resources for Third to Fifth Grade

Audio and Stories for Third Grade to Fifth Grade

• Listen to this episode from The Past and the Curious podcast about blues and folk musician Elizabeth Cotten , whose catchy songs traveled all over the world and even influenced the Beatles.
• Journey into the world of Latin American music with this podcast episode (via YouTube) from Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls and learn about the life of Celia Cruz , the Cuban Afro-Latina singer known as the Queen of Salsa.
• Hey Black Child: The Podcast features lesser-known African American Heroes and is hosted by kids!

Videos for Third Grade to Fifth Grade

• Find out about the African American inventor Lewis Latimer , who contributed to the creation of the light bulb, telephone, and more in this YouTube video from the Fab Lab.
• Check out this video and article on Dorothy Vaughan , the supervisor of a group of boundary-breaking African American women whose calculations got astronauts into space.
• Through this Smithsonian video and article, get a feel for the sounds and movements, and a sense of the rich history, behind Afro-Peruvian music , a unique result of the African diaspora.
• Let Flocabulary introduce George Washington Carver's life , the challenges he faced, and his accomplishments as an inventor and innovator. Then, ask students to consider how his ideas changed life for us all today.
• From The Kid Should See This, learn about science educator and graduate student Adania Flemming, who studies marine life at the University of Florida . Or discover the trailblazing accomplishments of Matthew Henson , who broke boundaries as an Arctic explorer and African American.
• Listen as the kids from Global Citizen share what they know about Black history .

Hands-On Activities for Third Grade to Fifth Grade

• Using this lesson (via Google Slides) from the New York Historical Society, delve into the extraordinary life, achievements, and art of sculptor and gallerist Augusta Savage , who was a key part of the Harlem Renaissance.
• Explore the influential history of African drumming using this video from the Kennedy Center, and try out some of the key techniques. Feel free to also click through and watch the other videos.
• Practice some simple and fun moves from traditional  West African dance as you watch this YouTube video from the Lincoln Center.

Text-Based Activities for Third Grade to Fifth Grade

• Read about the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech in this piece by Time for Kids . 
• Learn about Wangari Maathai's environmental and political activism, which resulted in a Nobel Prize -- the first for an African woman -- with this article from Britannica Kids .
• From NASA, you can find out about Katherine Johnson , another of the mathematicians whose calculations got us to the moon and back.
• This book list might have some selections to entice your students to learn about Black history.

Activities and Resources for Sixth to Eighth Grade

Audio and Stories for Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade

• Listen to this episode of The Past and the Curious to learn about Jerry Lawson, who had a hand in inventing modern video games!
• Through this episode of The Stuff You Missed in History Class , you can find out about the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

Videos for Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade

• View rare film footage of daily work, play, school celebrations, gatherings, and sporting events in the all-Black towns of 1920s Oklahoma, from National Geographic's YouTube channel.
• Travel back to the late 16th century with the Heroes of Color channel on YouTube to learn about Gaspar Yanga  and one of the earliest rebellions of enslaved people in the Americas. Or learn about the heroic achievements of the 369th Infantry Regiment , an all-Black unit that fought for the U.S. during World Wars I and II.
• Use this video from the YouTube channel Black History in Two Minutes to teach students about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black congresswoman and a champion for civil rights.
• Watch this video from NBC News Learn's YouTube channel to follow the extraordinary and complex life of Marcus Garvey , whose vision of a pan-African movement continues to influence Black thinkers and culture today.
• Sit down with jazz musician Robert Glasper , featured in this YouTube video from Jazz Night in America, as he shows the jazz origins of famous hip-hop samples and tracks.
• Learn more about the extensive influence of the blues and its roots in Black history from this YouTube video by PBS's Sound Field.
• Using this video from PBS, explore the origins, traditions, and influence of gospel music , created and celebrated weekly in Black churches across the country.
• Be moved by the 400-year-old history of bomba , a style of music and dance created by enslaved people who resisted colonial culture, in this YouTube video from PBS.

Hands-On Activities for Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade

• Visit this online exhibition from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to read about Frederick Douglass and see images of some of his handwritten documents.
• Learn more about the history behind trap music , a ubiquitous, influential music genre, in this lesson from PBS LearningMedia.
• Watch this video from Flocabulary to examine Langston Hughes' most famous poem and his use of figurative language. Then have students write their own "Harlem"-inspired poem.
• Read one of the many thought-provoking stories on the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) website, and then dig into the associated collections of artifacts.

Text-Based Activities for Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade

• Learn about Wangari Maathai's environmental and political activism, which resulted in a Nobel Prize -- the first for an African woman -- in  this article about her life story on the Wangari Maathai Foundation's website .
• Read this article from Smithsonian Magazine on the history of African American Cowboys , then have students compare this with how cowboys are portrayed in Hollywood and other pop-culture entertainment.
• These hand-selected book picks include lots of reading levels and interests, from historical events to popular figures.

Activities and Resources for Ninth to Twelfth Grade

Audio and Stories for Ninth to Twelfth Grade

• This episode of The Stuff You Missed in History Class begins with a murder in Pennsylvania, but goes on to highlight the racial injustice apparent during post-Reconstruction.
• And this episod e highlights the Harlem Hellfighters, a highly decorated Black Army unit who fought in WWI.

Videos for Ninth to Twelfth Grade

• Use this collection of videos from NBC News to augment what kids might already know about  MLK's legacy and movement .
• Watch a short video from TEDEd about civil rights activist Rosa Parks that digs into some information kids might not already know. Then use some of the comprehension questions or additional resources to extend students' learning.
• Watch Flocabulary's introduction to John Lewis' life, activism, and influence on generations of others, featuring lyrics written by a ninth grader. Afterward, have students choose an event mentioned in the video and research it further.
• From 60 Minutes , watch this famous exchange between MLK and journalist Mike Wallace . Ask students: What does King mean by "riots are the language of the unheard"?
• Watch this video about Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympics . Then use the discussion questions and worksheet to consider the role of protest in sports today.
• Using this Retro Report video and text, learn about how Black women have had to fight to win and maintain their voting right .
• Check out this video and article from Unladylike2020 to learn about the talented opera singer Sissieretta Jones , the first African American woman to headline at Carnegie Hall. Warning: Contains graphic content. While you're there, learn about Meta Warrick Fuller , the first African American woman recipient of a federal art commission, who was nicknamed "the sculptor of horrors" for her dark, expressive creations. Or  discover the singular life and style of Gladys Bentley , a Harlem Renaissance artist whose bold performances challenged gender roles and norms.
• Use this animated video from TEDEd as an introduction to James Baldwin , the influential writer who was stalked by the FBI for championing civil rights and social justice.
• Watch Chris Rock's documentary  Good Hair (free on Kanopy), which explores the societal and cultural ideas behind Black people's hair.
• Join hip-hop artist Nas via Poetry in America as he discusses his song "N.Y. State of Mind" and considers hip-hop’s place in the poetic canon. Note: Includes mature content.
• Discover the origins of breakdancing and learn about its far-reaching influence in this short documentary-style video from Vox.
• From Art21, step into the world of Kevin Beasley's art through this YouTube video, which explores his historical inspiration and reckons with the brutal legacy of slavery. Or experience the stunning and provocative contemporary art and performance of Abigail DeVille , whose work takes a critical look at history.
• Via Crash Course on YouTube, delve into the extraordinary and inspiring history of the Haitian revolution , which saw enslaved people liberate themselves, overthrow colonial rule, and create their own country.
• Dig deeper into some lesser-known history of the Black Panthers  with this YouTube video from AJ+, and discover their history of community outreach and health care support, grounded in compassion and self-reliance.
• Join two art historians in this YouTube video from Khan Academy as they discuss this important series of paintings about African Americans migrating north in search of work and new lives.
• See how Mexican people with African ancestry reconnect with their roots through dance and performance in this YouTube video from AJ+.

Hands-On Activities for Ninth to Twelfth Grade

• Learn about Wangari Maathai's environmental and political activism, which resulted in a Nobel Prize -- the first for an African woman -- with  this lesson plan from the My Hero website .
• Teach this lesson from PBS LearningMedia about the accomplishments of civil rights activist, lawyer, author, and priest Pauli Murray , who stood against the many forms of injustice.
• Use this PBS LearningMedia lesson to learn about the life of Alain Locke , a gay philosopher whose work set the stage for the Harlem Renaissance.
• Use this site from American Ancestors and the GU272 Memory Project to research and learn about the enslaved people who were sold to raise money to build Georgetown University, and hear their ancestors' stories as well.
• Learn about the life of activist Marsha P. Johnson , who helped spark the Pride movement and a fight for LGBTQ+ rights that continues today. Use this lesson from PBS LearningMedia as-is, or adapt it to fit your needs.

Text-Based Activities for Ninth to Twelfth Grade

• Read this Atlas Obscura article to learn the story of the mythical 16th-century Black queen Calafia , for whom California is named.
• Honor the bravery of Elizabeth Jennings by reading this Atlas Obscura narrative about her historic stand against segregation in 19th-century New York, long before the famous bus boycott in 1955.
• Read Malcolm X's famous "The Ballot or the Bullet" speech and this Teen Vogue article reflecting on its legacy.
• Read this article from IGN about inventor and engineer Jerry Lawson, who developed the first interchangeable, cartridge-based video game system -- before Atari and Nintendo!
• Learn how Afro-Latino baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente changed hearts and minds during the civil rights movement. Use the included PBS LearningMedia student guide for supplemental activities.
• Find out about the accomplishments of eight extraordinary Afro-Latino people . From artists to activists, each person contributed to the legacy of the African diaspora.
• Share this article from History.com, or this one from the Washington Post , to help students discover the amazing story of Bass Reeves, one of the first Black U.S. marshals west of the Mississippi, and probable inspiration for the American pop-culture icon the Lone Ranger. 

Christine Elgersma is Senior Editor, Learning Content, Strategy which means she manages the newsletter about learning, edits writing about learning, and loves to learn. Before coming to Common Sense, she helped create ELA curriculum for a K-12 app and taught the youth of America as a high school teacher, a community college teacher, a tutor, and a special education instructional aide for about 18 years. Christine is also a writer, primarily of fiction and essays, and loves to read all manner of books. When she's not putting on a spontaneous vaudeville show with her daughter, Christine loves nature, music, and almost any form of dark chocolate.

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Black History Teaching Resources

Black History Month (February) is a helpful spotlight on the importance of teaching Black History year round. Inside Writable’s Social Studies collection you’ll find a wealth of assignments and resources that emphasize diverse historical figures, important events, beliefs, and practices. Many assignments include readings or videos from trusted media sources, and focus on both historical and current events.

In honor of Black History Month we’ve collected some of our favorite Writable assignments about or inspired by Black American people and culture. Students can practice expanding their cultural knowledge and learning from credible sources as they write in the Information, Argument, or Narrative genre. Each assignment provides a link to educational resources. You’ll also find Sentence Combining activities which enable students to practice this foundational skill while celebrating Black History Month.

Sample Assignment

Explore Black History Assignments for Elementary School >

Explore black history assignments for middle school >, explore black history assignments for high school >.

As always, you’ll also find these assignments year round within our Social Studies collection, which focuses on culture, history, and civics. We encourage you to incorporate these assignments and resources into your classroom, or you can use Writable’s easy assignment creation wizard to create your own social studies assignments!

Are you new to Writable or curious to learn more? Create a free teacher account , check out our pricing , schedule a personalized demo , or Join the Writable Educators Facebook Community

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Sharing teaching and learning resources from the National Archives

Education Updates

Teaching Resources for Black History Month

At the National Archives we have primary sources and educational activities for teaching about African American history during Black History Month or any time of the year.

You can access hundreds of photographs, letters, legislation, Constitutional amendments, videos, and more related to African American history on DocsTeach, our online tool for teaching with documents.

Find topics such as:

• Civil Rights
• Voting Rights
• School Desegregation
• The March on Washington
• The Freedmen’s Bureau
• Fugitive Slave Laws
• Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Harriet Tubman
• Black Soldiers in the Civil War
• Thurgood Marshall
• Jackie Robinson

If you’re looking for primary sources for another topic, visit our  document search page and type in your keyword. You can narrow down your results by historical era or document type.

For example, a variety of documents from school segregation court cases available on DocsTeach illustrate how the “separate but equal” doctrine was eroded over time:

• Alice Lorraine Ashley  v.  School Board of Gloucester County , 1948
• Davis v. Prince Edward County , 1954
• Green v. New Kent County , 1968

We also have several teaching activities ready to use in the classroom or online with your students on DocsTeach.

In Examining Where Rosa Parks Sat , students examine a diagram of the bus from this famous incident. Ms. Parks’s name has been blacked out using our White Out/Black Out tool.

In the activity U.S. v. Amistad : A Case of Jurisdiction , students explore this famous court case in which the Supreme Court stated that the Africans aboard the Amistad were free individuals, illegally kidnapped and transported, and were never slaves.

You can find many more teaching activities related to Civil Rights , voting rights , slavery , segregation , and much more on DocsTeach .

Our special Rights in America page also includes a variety of primary sources and teaching activities exploring the ways Americans, including African Americans and others, have fought for, attained, and protected their rights.

In addition to our education resources, you can find a variety of articles, blog posts, videos, recorded programs, and upcoming events on our African American History Month Resources page on archives.gov .

Images in this post:

• Moton High School Classroom , ca. 1951. From the Records of District Courts of the United States.
• Voter Registration Drive , 9/1973. From the Records of the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Official Program for the March on Washington , 8/28/1963. From the Collection JFK-164: Post-Administration Records Collection; John F. Kennedy Library, Boston, MA.
• Dealing Out of Rations in Uniontown, Alabama . From the Records of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics.
• President Barack Obama Sits on the Famed Rosa Parks Bus , 4/18/2012. From the BHO-WHPO: Records of the White House Photo Office (Obama Administration); Barack Obama Presidential Library.
• Regiment of the United States Colored Troops at Port Hudson, Louisiana , 1864. From the Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs.

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13 Meaningful Black History Month Activities for Kids to Add to Your Lesson Plans

Written by Jeanne Sager

Do you have your Black History Month activities lined up for your February lesson plans yet? Wondering how to teach about Black history in a way that’s meaningful and appropriate?

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it’s one that you can pack with important lessons about our nation’s shameful history of slavery and segregation and the triumphant stories of Black Americans who led the Civil Rights movement in a fight for a more equitable society. Not sure where to get started?

The teacher team at Teach Starter has got you covered! We’ve compiled some of our favorite Black History Month activities and ideas for teachers in elementary school and middle school to help you make this month’s lessons more impactful.

Read on to find out how to strike just the right tone in the classroom this February with virtual field trip ideas, read-alouds, lesson plans and activities for kids that aren’t just appropriate but also reflective of the Black experience and Black Americans’ huge role in the history of our nation. We’ve even added some free printables to the list!

Black History Month Do’s and Don’ts for Teachers

Maybe you feel you’ve already got a handle on this as a culturally responsive teacher, and if so, bravo! You clearly are doing something right, and we applaud an inclusive and diverse approach to teaching. Feel free to skip right to the activities.

Still feeling a little trepidatious? That’s OK, too. It means you care to make sure you get this right – during Black History Month and throughout the school year. So let’s go over a few quick tips before we dig into the activities.

Don’t Treat Black History as the Past

While Black history is, well, history, it’s important not to put some rose-colored glasses “this happened a long, long time” ago focus on Black History. For example, we only saw the first Black American president in 2008 and the first Black American vice president in 2020, and the fight for equality is ongoing.

Do Address That Black History Is American History

The month may be called Black History Month, but what you are teaching is really American history. It’s important that white students understand that this is part of their history as well, and not just something for Black classmates to care about.

Don’t Single Out Black Students

Some Black students may come to you and ask to share stories of their cultural heritage, and that’s OK, but Black students should never be forced to represent their race for the sake of teaching white classmates.

Do Take Time to Evaluate Your Teaching As a Whole

No, we’re not looking to attack anyone here. But we’re more than halfway through the school year (the 100th Day of School is typically around now), and it’s a good time to reflect back on the past few months of the school year.

Is Black History Month the first time you’ve talked about Black Americans in your classroom? Have you read a book featuring Black children or adults this school year? Some 7.4 million American public school students are Black , and another 2.2 million are biracial. These students deserve to see themselves in the books read in their classroom, the stories told, and the history taught … all year round.

If you haven’t been doing that all year, don’t panic. You have recognized it, and now’s a great time to make adjustments.

Black History Month Activities for Kids

Looking for specific activities for your classroom? From read-alongs and teaching slides about Black history to biography projects about Black Americans, here is a range of Black History Month activities for kids that can be done with children from pre-K on up through upper elementary school.

1. Write About Famous Quotes From Black Americans

Looking for a way to incorporate Black History Month into your ELA lesson plans? One teacher on our team likes to highlight individual Black Americans throughout the month, using some of their inspirational quotes to get her students thinking critically.

She posts that person’s quote on her whiteboard in the morning for students to read, then shares a read-aloud story about that individual. Students then write a paragraph, explaining what they think the person’s quote means.

To get you started, here are some great read-alouds focused on individual Black Americans who have made an enormous impact on our society, along with a famous quote from each:

1. Booker T. Washington

• Read-Aloud — Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim
• Quote —”Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.”

2. Ruby Bridges

• Read-Aloud — I Am Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges
• Quote —”Racism is a grown-up disease, and we must stop using our children to spread it.”

3. Bessie Coleman

• Read-Aloud — Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman’s Dreams Took Flight by Karyn Parsons
• Quote —”The air is the only place free from prejudices.”

2. Set Up a Door Decorating Contest

Challenge the other teachers on your grade level (or maybe even your hall) to a classroom door decorating contest that honors Black History Month, and get your students involved in the process.

While their level of involvement will quite obviously depend on the grade level you teach, there’s plenty kids can do, from voting on a theme for a door decorating contest, planning out the door decor to actually decorating. If you’re teaching younger kids, decorating might fall on your shoulders, but you can use your students’ work to decorate — making your Black History Month door a means to celebrate their learning.

3. Study the Civil Rights Movement & Segregation

Help older kids demonstrate their understanding of the Civil Rights leaders who helped put an end to racist segregationist laws and important moments in the fight for equal rights by creating brochures about some of the most influential figures and moments during the Civil Rights Movement. Students can work in groups or create their brochures individually, working to find information from multiple sources.

Some of the topics kids can cover include:

• The 14th Amendment
• Jim Crow Laws
• Brown vs. Board of Education –  Ruby Bridges
• Montgomery Bus Boycott –  Rosa Parks
• March on Washington –  Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The Civil Rights Act

4. Take Virtual Field Trips

Are you looking to take a February field trip to explore Black history? You don’t have to leave the school — or even the classroom — with a virtual field trip. Here are a few favorite trips that focus on different elements of Black history:

• Virtual Harlem  — Explore New York City’s Harlem during the days of the Harlem Renaissance with a virtual look at the Jazz Age. This free field trip includes famous musicians like Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, as well as a host of different Black painters and sculptors.
• Slavery and Making of America Museum  — This is a virtual museum created with donations from a number of members of the Association of African-American Museums. The free “field trip” includes resources for kids to make their own virtual museum exhibits.
• New York Public Library — One of America’s biggest libraries offers virtual exhibits from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. They are free to browse and introduce kids to historic figures from Nat Turner to Emmett Till.

5. Get to Know Local Black Americans

Biography projects are a classic Black History Month activity, and there are plenty of amazing Black Americans to add to your list of subjects. But if you’re looking for a fresh take, why not refocus your biography projects more locally?

Challenge students to research Black leaders, artists, musicians and so on from your own community?

6. Read Books With Black Protagonists

Does your classroom library reflect the faces of the children in your classroom and the people in your community? These powerful books are perfect to use in the classroom to celebrate Black authors and Black stories.

• I Am Enough by Grace Byers   – This beautiful story from Grace Byers is all about loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to each other.
• Skin Like Mine by Latashia M. Perry   – Latashia gives us a heartfelt story about appreciating everyone regardless of their skin color. This is a lighthearted way of breaking down the barrier when talking about different skin tones and loving the body you were given!
• Teammates by Peter Golenbock  – Peter Golenbock brings us the moving story about Jackie Robinson and part of his journey on becoming the first Black Major League baseball player.
• The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson  – Jacqueline tells us a story of two young girls – one black and one white – who, despite the barrier of a fence and the ‘grown-ups’, manage to develop a strong friendship.

For more books to add to your library, check out Marley Dias’ expansive list of 1,000 Black Girl Books featuring Black girls front and center. Dias was just 11 when she created the  #1000BlackGirlBooks drive, collecting books for schools while also bringing attention to the importance of including Black girls in literature and the lack of diversity in children’s books.

Consider using Dias’ story and her book Marley Dias Gets It Done as a prompt for your young writers.

• What lesson did they learn from Marley?
• What is something they can do in their own communities to be like her?

Teaching middle school? Check out Schomburg’s Black Liberation List for Young Readers from the New York Public Library for book ideas for your older students!

7. Create Timelines of Important Moments in Black History

Are you thinking of assigning a timeline activity for students to explore some of the most important events and figures in Black history?

Timeline activities can help kids learn about the order and sequence of events in history, as well as the cause-and-effect relationships between them. They also help kids learn about different time periods and historical figures, and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by analyzing and interpreting historical information.

Timeline activities can help children develop their organizational and research skills by gathering and arranging historical information in a logical and coherent way.

8. Read Up With Comprehension Worksheets

It doesn’t have to be Black History Month for your comprehension worksheets to be inclusive and show representation of important Black Americans, but February is a great time to start adding these to the rotation.

Work on students’ understanding of the main ideas, characters, events, and details in a text with a focus on Black Americans who have made an impact on our country’s history.

Not only will students boost their ability to identify important information, make inferences, and understand the relationships between characters and events in a story, they’ll have a better understanding of some of the Black figures throughout history.

Explore more printables about famous historical figures in American history !

9. Dive Into Diversity and Inclusion Vocabulary

Black History Month is a good time to introduce students to vocabulary around diversity and inclusion and discuss what it means to put these words into practice in our everyday lives. Some key vocabulary terms you can discuss include:

• Inclusiveness

Use the  E veryone Belongs Vocabulary Flip Book template with your students to discuss vocabulary associated with diversity and equality.

10. Celebrate Black Joy With Cultural Activities

Black History Month lessons are often focused on slavery, segregation and the suffering of Black Americans throughout history. We certainly aren’t suggesting you ignore teaching these important lessons, however they are only part of the story of Black America. Take time to focus on Black joy in some of your activities!

Consider looking at other elements of Black History, such as Black music, Black art or Black writers this month. Many of the ideas on this activities list can be completed through this lens, and you may call on people in your own community to supplement.

Do you have an Afro-Caribbean restaurant in your community? Invite their chef to speak to your class about their cuisine. Is there a Black author in your town? Ask them to stop in to talk about their work!

Are you a white educator looking to learn more about what Black joy means? This look at Black joy from writer Chanté Joseph is an excellent read!

Black History Month Craft Activities

Some students learn and express themselves better artistically. Having a craft activity to incorporate into your Black History Month activities is a fantastic way to reflect on learning with your students. Here are a few simple craft ideas for your lesson planning.

1. Create Diversity Hearts

Art teacher Cassie Stephens ( @cassie_stephenz ) shared this heartwarming diversity activity with our teacher team back in June 2020, but it’s just as meaningful today. Stephens wanted to help her students see that all people are worthy of kindness, acceptance, empathy and love.

See the full tutorial, including a video —  Diversity Heart Art Activity .

2. Complete An Everyone Belongs Hand Activity (FREE Download)

Use our free  Diversity Craft Templates to create a visual representation of your class and for students to write down their hopes and dreams for the world.

3. Create A Classroom Hands Banner

Building on the hands theme from above, this diversity-focused craft reminds students that we all may be different, but the end result is beautiful.

Provide students with a variety of paper items — old magazines, wrapping paper, newspaper, etc. — to create their own colorful hands for a classroom banner. Students should trace their hand on the paper of their choosing, then cut out their hand.

All the hands can then be attached to a piece of string to show off the many colors of your classroom.

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About Kabrena

56 Black History Month Writing Activities Educators Will Love

• Kabrena Williams
• January 8, 2024
• 8 minute read

As we immerse ourselves in the vibrant tapestry of Black History Month, it’s not just a celebration; it’s a profound acknowledgment of the resilience, creativity, and indomitable spirit of African Americans.

For me, a Black woman navigating the intricate narrative of life in the United States, this month holds a special place – a time to not only reflect on where we come from but to weave our stories into the fabric of the present and set our aspirations for the future.

Black History Month is not merely an isolated celebration; it’s intertwined with Juneteenth, collectively reminding us of the journey we’ve undertaken and the strides we still aspire to make. Yet, in the face of erasure attempts, it becomes imperative to safeguard our history, for Black history is American history.

Join us in this exploration, an odyssey through 55 creatively curated Black History Month writing activities, adaptable to homes, communities, and classrooms alike. Let these activities be a testament to the richness of our shared heritage, fostering a deeper understanding of the narratives that shape our nation.

Read more of Black History Month content feat. on the site:

43 Best Black History Month Ideas for Work to Celebrate All Year

33 Cicely Tyson’s Inspirational Black History Month Quotes

Best Books for Black History Month for Adults to Read

Black History Month Activities

1. Rosa Parks’ Diary Entries : Step into Rosa Parks’ shoes and pen diary entries capturing the emotions and thoughts during pivotal moments, such as that courageous bus ride in Montgomery that ignited the spark of the Civil Rights Movement.

2. African Americans in Fiction : Encourage creative writing by having students craft short stories featuring African American protagonists in various settings, portraying moments of triumph and resilience.

3. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Redraft: Challenge students to reimagine and rewrite a famous Martin Luther King Jr. speech in a contemporary context, emphasizing how his words remain relevant today.

4. Harriet Tubman’s Adventure Tale: Transform Harriet Tubman’s life into an adventurous narrative, incorporating elements of courage and resilience, highlighting her pivotal role in the Underground Railroad.

5. Enhancing Writing Skills Through Historical Debates: Facilitate debates on critical aspects of the Civil Rights Movement, honing students’ writing and argumentation skills, and exploring key moments in history.

6. United States Through the Eyes of Black Historical Figures: Prompt students to write essays portraying the United States from the perspective of prominent Black historical figures, shedding light on their unique viewpoints during crucial periods.

7. American History Time Capsule: Create time capsules with written artifacts representing pivotal moments in African American history, encapsulating the essence of significant events.

8. Exploring Civil Rights Movement Poetry: Delve into the world of poetry, with students composing pieces inspired by the themes of the Civil Rights Movement, capturing the emotions of transformative moments.

9. Jackie Robinson’s Letter to the Future: Imagine Jackie Robinson writing a letter to future generations, addressing the progress and challenges in racial equality, marking a pivotal era in sports history.

10. Ruby Bridges’ Classroom Journal : Transport yourself back in time and imagine being a student entering an unfamiliar school, echoing the courage of Ruby Bridges.

Share your emotions, challenges, and hopes as you navigate this historic moment, exploring the transformative power of education and unity in just a few compelling sentences.

11. George Washington Carver’s Science Fiction : Merge science and creative writing by having students craft speculative fiction inspired by George Washington Carver’s innovations, exploring moments of scientific breakthroughs.

Writing Activities for the Month of February

12. Black Authors Book Review: oster critical thinking by having students read and review books by Black authors, exploring themes and styles that have been pivotal in shaping literature.

13. Black Americans: A Living Timeline: Construct a living timeline within the classroom, with students embodying different Black Americans at various historical junctures, depicting pivotal moments in their lives.

14. The Movement in Haiku: Condense the essence of the Black Lives Matter movement into poignant haikus, exploring brevity and impact during significant contemporary moments.

15. Portrait of Black People in Art: Inspire artful writing by having students describe and interpret portraits of Black people in various artistic mediums, highlighting pivotal cultural expressions.

16. High School Through Time Travel: Craft narratives where high school students time-travel to different eras, witnessing and documenting Black history unfold, exploring pivotal moments in education and social progress.

17. Journey Through the Underground Railroad: : Develop a choose-your-own-adventure story centered around the Underground Railroad, incorporating historical accuracy and important decision points.

18. Maya Angelou-Inspired Letter to Self : Write letters to a future self, drawing inspiration from the resilience and wisdom of Maya Angelou’s writings, capturing pivotal moments of personal growth.

19. A Great Way to Explore Harlem Renaissance Music: Engage with the Harlem Renaissance through writing about the impact of music on the cultural movement, spotlighting key contributions from musicians.

20. Black History Month Writing Prompts Jar: Create a prompts jar, allowing students to randomly select topics that prompt reflections and creative responses, touching upon a variety of significant themes.

21. Craft Options for Historical Narratives: Develop creative craft activities to complement historical narratives, enhancing the visual storytelling experience and providing a hands-on approach to crucial instances.

22. Expressive Creative Writing Workshop: Conduct a workshop where participants engage in expressive and uninhibited creative writing inspired by Black history, exploring significant junctures through unique perspectives.

BHM Interactive Notebook Ideas

23. Black History Sheets: Design coloring sheets depicting historical scenes, accompanied by brief narratives explaining their significance, making art an accessible gateway to pivotal moments.

24. Then and Now February Reflections : Reflect on the changes and constants in African American life by comparing historical and contemporary experiences in February, highlighting shifts and ongoing struggles.

25. Harlem Renaissance Podcast Script: Develop podcast scripts that transport listeners to the Harlem Renaissance, exploring its cultural richness and highlighting significant moments in arts and literature.

26. Short Stories on Oprah Winfrey’s Impact: Explore the multifaceted impact of Oprah Winfrey through short stories that capture various dimensions of her influence, emphasizing significant moments in media and philanthropy.

27. Frederick Douglass’ Autobiographical Play: Adapt Frederick Douglass’ autobiography into a play, emphasizing key themes and moments, bringing significant historical narratives to the stage.

28. Common Core Reflection Essays: Challenge students to reflect on how the principles of Common Core align with the values and lessons from

29. Hidden Figures Film Analysis: Encourage critical thinking by having students analyze the film “Hidden Figures” and write essays on its historical and cultural significance, unpacking significant moments in space exploration , racial and gender equality.

30. Seizing a Great Opportunity: Writing Personal Visions: Prompt students to articulate their personal visions for a future where equality and justice prevail, envisioning significant societal transformations.

31. Black History Month Writing Contest Submissions: Create a space for students to submit their work to a Black History Month writing contest, fostering healthy competition and recognition, acknowledging significant voices in the making.

32. Chronicles of Important Moments in Black History: Write detailed chronicles of important moments in Black history, ensuring a nuanced and thorough exploration, highlighting significant events that shaped the nation.

33. Reading Comprehension Exercises on Michelle Obama’s Memoir: Develop reading comprehension activities centered around Michelle Obama’s memoir, promoting literacy and understanding, exploring significant moments in her life.

Interactive Notebook Ideas for BHM

34. Capturing an Important Figure in a Short Film: Challenge students to create short films that capture the essence and impact of a chosen important figure in Black history, translating significant stories into compelling visual narratives.

35. Incorporating Fun Stuff: Infuse fun into learning with Black history trivia games, promoting engagement and knowledge retention, emphasizing significant facts and personalities.

36. Podcast Episodes Exploring Textual Evidence: Produce podcast episodes delving into historical events and figures, grounded in textual evidence and analysis, illuminating significant moments through compelling storytelling.

37. Descriptive Writing : Cultivate descriptive writing skills by crafting detailed character descriptions of African-descendant persons, capturing significant qualities and nuances.

38. Historical Moments via Social Media: Launch a social media campaign, with students creating content that educates and enlightens on significant historical moments, using technology to share the importance of Black history.

39. Martin Luther King Day Project: Design interactive notebooks specifically for exploring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., incorporating significant speeches and ideas.

40. Resource Types for Black History Teaching: Compile a diverse set of resources, from articles to documentaries, for a comprehensive approach to teaching Black history, offering educators and learners access to significant information.

41. Creative Ways to Explore Black History: Brainstorm and document creative methods for educators and individuals to explore and teach Black history, fostering innovative and engaging approaches to significant narratives.

42. Small Group Discussions on Most Inspirational Stories: Foster collaborative learning through small group discussions centered around the most inspirational stories in Black history, creating spaces to discuss significant narratives.

43. Professional Development in Black History Teaching: Develop writing activities for educators, promoting ongoing professional development in teaching Black history, emphasizing the importance of staying informed about significant moments and evolving narratives.

44. Dear President Obama Letters: Invite students to write letters to former President Barack Obama, expressing their thoughts, questions, or sharing something exciting from their lives. Encourage them to be creative with drawings or colorful decorations to make their letters even more special.

Free Resource Writing Ideas for Elementary Students

44. Crafting a Short Film on African History: Encourage students to craft short films that explore the rich history of Africa, connecting it to the broader narrative of Black history, highlighting significant moments that shaped civilizations.

45. Poetry Reading Celebrating Black Voices: Organize a poetry reading event celebrating diverse voices within the African American community, showcasing significant perspectives and experiences.

46. Heroic Figures Coloring Book: Create a coloring book featuring illustrations of Black heroes and heroines from history, accompanied by short descriptions written by the students, highlighting the significance of each figure.

47. My Dream for a Better World: Prompt students to write and illustrate their dreams for a better, more inclusive world, emphasizing the importance of kindness, understanding, and unity.

48. Storytime Adventures with Ruby Bridges: Craft short, imaginative stories where elementary students embark on adventures with Ruby Bridges, exploring themes of friendship, bravery, and learning.

49. George Washington Carver’s Discovery Journal: Encourage students to imagine they are George Washington Carver discovering something new each day and write journal entries describing their exciting discoveries, real or imagined.

50. Underground Railroad Map: Have students create a map of the Underground Railroad, drawing routes and writing short captions to explain the significance of each stop on the journey to freedom.

51. My Favorite Black Author: Introduce elementary students to a Black author and have them write a simple book review, sharing what they enjoyed about the author’s work and illustrating a cover for their favorite book.

52. African Safari Adventure: Inspire creativity by having students write short stories about going on an African safari adventure, incorporating elements of geography, animals, and exploration.

53. Exploring Black Inventors: Introduce elementary students to Black inventors and their contributions, encouraging them to write short reports on an inventor of their choice, accompanied by drawings.

54. Black History Month Acrostic Poems: Teach students about acrostic poems and have them create poems using the words “Black History Month,” with each line beginning with one of these letters, expressing thoughts and feelings.

55. Reflective Essays on the Most Important Thing Learned: Conclude the writing activities with reflective essays, prompting individuals to articulate the most important lessons learned from the exploration of Black history, emphasizing significant insights that resonate personally and collectively.

Related Topics

• black history month

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14 Fun Black History Month Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, takes place every February to honor the accomplishments of Black people in the United States and the important roles they have played in the past and the present. We've designed activities that give students the opportunity to dive into history and learn about the people and events that have shaped our nation.

Black History Month Ideas for School

Encourage students to engage in crafts, teach them about significant figures in Black history, and celebrate with your class using these Black History Month activities for elementary and middle school.

1. Review the Timeline of the Civil Rights Movement

As the civil rights movement progressed over several decades, many key events helped to shape the outcome. For this activity, you should first hold a discussion with your students about the definitions of civil rights and social movements .

Explain that civil rights are written and unwritten rights provided to anyone who is a U.S. citizen or who belongs to a civil society. A movement includes activities undertaken by a group of people to achieve change. Then, distribute the  timeline activity and have your students fill in details about nine key events of the civil rights movement based on their research. Once complete, your students should cut out each event; place them in chronological order; and glue, paste, or tape them to a piece of paper. Encourage them to add a title to their timeline before sharing it with the class.

2. Pen a Persuasive Essay

Many Black people have made valuable contributions to the world throughout history. Have students write a persuasive essay convincing the U.S. Postal Service to create a new stamp honoring an influential Black person. They should explain their choice and the impact the person has had on the world.

Maybe they want to focus on the historic election of Kamala Harris as U.S. Vice President, Katherine Johnson's contribution to science and space exploration, or Stevie Wonder's legacy in music. Have students read their essays to one another or submit them for extra credit. Here are steps to teaching students how to write an effective persuasive argument .

This is also an opportunity to have students participate in their government! The U.S. Postal Service welcomes suggestions for stamp subjects that "celebrate the American experience." Check out the USPS website for the criteria for selecting a stamp subject and the process for submitting a proposal. 

3. Write about Black History

With these Black History Month writing prompts from fourth-grade teacher Perry Hollins, you can introduce your students to Black innovators of the past and present. Your students can then tie these figures' experiences to their own lives. For each prompt, students explore the life of a Black innovator, reflect on a quote from the individual, and then tackle a writing prompt. The prompts each focus on a particular writing style, such as narrative, informative, or persuasive.

4. Do a Crossword Puzzle on Civil Rights

Have your students test their knowledge of Black history with this downloadable crossword puzzle , including an answer key for teachers. Topics covered include slavery in the United States, civil rights protests, key figures, and relevant holidays. This is particularly well suited for students in Grades 4–8.

5. Create an Encyclopedia of Black Leaders

Students can create a biographical encyclopedia with one or two paragraphs each about Black leaders who contributed to the civil rights movement. Alternatively, students can focus on any Black leader in the U.S. throughout history. They can choose three to five leaders whom they feel had the greatest impact on U.S. history and explain why those individuals' accomplishments deserve to be recognized.

Then, students can dive into the role that each figure played in history, what events they influenced, and their legacy. This is a good chance to teach students about finding credible sources online, creating a bibliography, and improving their writing. Your students can exchange their final Black History Month projects and provide peer feedback, or share them with the entire class.

6. Explore Famous Black Scientists in History

If you're looking to explore famous Black scientists in history , you can download these posters , hang them in your classroom or distribute them to your students. This activity can take a lot of different forms. You may simply have a classroom discussion about the legacies of each of these scientists, or you can encourage your students to dig further and create their own list of famous Black scientists. Students might even focus on influential Black innovators in specific scientific fields, such as chemistry or mathematics. Your students can write about these individuals' lives, accomplishments, and continued legacy today, and perhaps create their own posters to hang on a bulletin board.

7. Conduct Experiments Inspired by the Works of Black Scientists 

Get hands on and further explore the extraordinary works of famous Black scientists, inventors, and mathematicians by conducting experiments inspired by their work. Find a collection of Black History Month science activities and experiments that touch on earth and space sciences, agriculture, biology, and more, so students can study space like Dr. Mae Jemison, or nurture plants like George Washington Carver.

8. Test Students' Knowledge with Our Black History Month Quiz

Have students explore Black history with this short multiple choice quiz . A teacher answer key is also included. You can have students hand this in for a grade, or have them work in teams and see which group answers the most questions correctly.

9. Complete a Word Search 

Download this word search for students that includes the names of influential figures, key events, and terms related to Black history. Once students find all the words listed, have them write a short description or definition of each term. The specifics are up to you as to what they need to include in their writing.

9. Read Books About Black History

There are many books you can read about Black history that highlight both the triumphant and tragic journeys of Black people in the United States. One example is The Undefeated , illustrated by Kadir Nelson. The book won the 2020 Caldecott Medal and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. Author and poet Kwame Alexander won a Newbery Honor for the book as well. The beautifully crafted book of poetry doesn't hold back on illustrating the cruelties Africans faced on their journey to and arrival in the U.S., but it's presented in a way that's easy for kids to digest and understand. The book showcases themes such as determination, self-actualization, and perseverance and covers the horrors of slavery, the triumphs of the civil rights movement, and the actions of influential Black figures.

If you're looking to teach students about the impact of the Chicago Race Riots on history, consider these two literary texts  recommended by HMH's archivist, Susan Steinway.

11. Showcase Black History in Your School’s Halls

Work with your school’s leadership team to organize a school-wide Black History Month door decorating or bulletin board decorating contest. Each class can showcase significant moments, figures, and accomplishments in Black history, for example the Harlem Renaissance, the Tuskegee Airmen, or the work of the Freedom Riders. Find inspiration for Black History Month bulletin board ideas and Black History Month classroom door decoration ideas on Shaped .

12. Create a Quote Gallery with Words from Notable Black Figures

Display quotes from notable Black figures in your classroom and engage students in a quote gallery walk. On chart paper, write or print quotes from famous Black leaders or notable figures. Use these Black History Month quotes for students for the gallery walk. Alongside the quote, include the person’s name, title, and brief biography. Post the quotes around the room. Place students in small groups and have them explore each quote. As groups stop at a quote, ask students to discuss with each other what the quote means to them. Then have them use a marker to jot down their thoughts and reflections on the chart paper. Afterwards, lead a class discussion about the powerful words the class just read. Extend this activity by having students choose their favorite quote displayed and complete a quote discussion chart .

13. Host a Poetry Reading and Recite Poems from Black Poets

Study the works of famous Black poets, like Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes, and teach students the art of performing poetry by hosting a class poetry reading. Show students videos of Black poets reciting their works, so students can learn about the change of tone, inflection, and body language when poems are read aloud. Then have students choose a poem penned by a Black author that they will share during the class poetry reading. Give students the time to practice reciting their poems aloud in small groups. On the day of the event, you can convert your classroom into a poetry café. If possible, invite caregivers or guardians to watch the performances. After their reading, students can share fun facts about the poet, why they chose the poem they did, and what resonated with them.

14. Transform Your Classroom into a Black History Museum

Bring the museum into your classroom with this Black History Month activity. Ask students to research notable Black figures or key events in Black history. Students will then create posters based on their research. Display students’ work throughout the classroom, organizing the posters into exhibits, such as science, history, art, and literature, to transform your classroom into a Black history museum. If possible, chose a date and invite other classes and guardians or caregivers to a museum showing of your class’s Black history exhibits. Students can present the information on their posters to guests as museum guides and educators.

Share Your Black History Month Projects and Activities

Have any fun Black History Month activity ideas for school? Share them with us at [email protected].

We hope these Black history month activities for elementary and middle school students provide you with plenty of ideas for honoring the achievements of Black people and shed light on the triumphs and tragedies that they have faced in the United States. By doing so, we can create a world that prioritizes equality and freedom for all.

For more ways to celebrate Black History Month with your students, check out:

• 8 Black History Month Writing Prompts
• 5 Teaching Tools to Honor Black History Month in the Classroom
• Black History Month: Teaching Historical Triumphs and Tragedies
• Ann Petry: Honoring the Author's Legacy During Black History Month
• A Rosa Parks Lesson Plan: Teaching About Her Legacy

Discover more lesson plans and classroom resources o n Shaped .

Meet the demands of today’s classrooms with HMH instructional coaching .

This blog, originally published in 2020, has been updated for 2024.

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• Black History Month Contest , Lessons and Ideas

Each February, we observe Black History Month to remember important people and events in Black history. Black history relates to all citizens and our shared backgrounds as Americans. Flocabulary has engaging hip-hop-infused Black History Month activities that are rigorous yet fun for students. Use these activities, songs, and videos to honor Black history in your curriculum—not just for the month but all year long.

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1. Amplify student voice with a rap contest

Student voice and authentic learning experiences are at the core of Flocabulary. Every February, we host a student rap contest in honor of Black History Month. Students will select a significant Black historical figure to write a rap about. The winning students will have their lyrics turned into a Flocab video lesson, be featured in the video for classes nationwide to see, and sit in with our writers, rappers, and editors to get an inside look into the video creation process! This contest is the perfect opportunity to empower student voices and to have them see themselves in what they’re learning. Check out past student winners and their Black History Month songs, or click below to watch their videos .

Teachers can submit on behalf of students and don’t need a Flocabulary account to enter. However, with Flocabulary’s Lyric Lab , students can seamlessly create their own rap in minutes.

The contest opens on February 1st, and submissions close on February 29th. Click below to learn more!

2. Write from Ruby Bridges’ point of view

In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges changed history by becoming the first black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school by herself. Watch our video about Ruby Bridges , which tells the story of how she overcame many obstacles to integrate into William Frantz Elementary School, showing great courage in the face of discrimination.

Then, use this lesson plan to have students write a page from Ruby’s journal from her perspective and compare and contrast Ruby’s story told from first and third-person points of view. Flocabulary’s famous Point of View video is a great resource to use if you’re interested in Black History Month activities. Through this assignment, students will learn how Ruby Bridges changed history and discuss her courage and determination in facing obstacles.

3. Assign students to write a rap/poem about their dream

Teach students about the major events in the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with our lesson video. Students will learn about King’s biography, including the segregation that he and the Black community faced, his work as a minister, and his role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Civil Rights Movement. The video also shows King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

After watching the video, assign students the rest of the activities in the lesson sequence . Flocabulary’s lesson sequence follows Bloom’s Taxonomy . Accomplish the final level for “create” by using Lyric Lab. Students can listen to and read MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, then write original raps about their own dreams for the world using quotations from King’s speech and their own figurative language.

4. Analyze Dr.King’s “I Have a Dream” speech

As mentioned previously, Flocabulary’s MLK video describes his commitment to nonviolent means of protesting and features clips from the “I Have a Dream” speech given at the March on Washington. You can pair this video in multiple ways for your Black History Month activities. For example, you can use our “I Have a Dream” Speech Analysis Lesson Plan to have students review literary terms, rhetorical devices, and figurative language with a scavenger hunt throughout the speech. Then, you can have students discuss or write about the speech using literary terminology.

5. Teach poetry through Langston Hughes’ “Harlem”

Introduce students to “Harlem,” the Langston Hughes poem that gave Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun its name, using Langston Hughes’ “Harlem” video and lesson. Students will analyze the social context and figurative language that made the poem so powerful.

After reviewing the lesson and analyzing the poem, students will also write their own poems inspired by “Harlem.” Use the printable worksheet in our lesson to assign these Black History Month activities to your students.

6. Explore perspectives on race

What is race? How does it affect different people every day? In this video, four Flocabulary rappers share their perspectives on race . Students will learn that even though race isn’t in our genes, it has a powerful effect on people and society. When teaching Black History Month activities and topics, it’s important to embed social and emotional learning teachings into this instruction. The major takeaway is not to let anyone define you based on appearances and not to define others that way either.

7. Have students write and perform a skit or rap on the Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder

A constitutional amendment granted African Americans the right to vote in 1870. However, the promise of that amendment would not be realized for decades. It would take a group of dedicated organizers in Selma, Alabama, to plan a series of marches before that important right was protected by the Voting Rights Act. This Black History video about the Voting Rights Act & Selma March explains the importance of the Selma marches, why the Voting Rights Act was needed, and what voting rights look like in our country today.

After studying the Selma March and the case of Shelby County v. Holder, use this lesson plan to have students discuss how current events can be seen as examples of continuity and change with regard to voting rights. Have students write and perform a rap or skit that depicts the Supreme Court case in its historical context.

8. Teach about Maya Angelou and figurative language using the Vocab Game

This video lesson introduces students to Maya Angelou , describing her extraordinary life and the significance of her work. Students will analyze Angelou’s trademark use of figurative language and vivid imagery in her poems and memoirs.

Vocab Game, which is the third part of Flocab’s lesson sequence, can be used to teach figurative language. In this drag and drop activity, students match the lesson’s vocabulary words, including figure language terms, to images or definitions, complete sentences, or find synonyms to build a beat.

9. Have a classroom discussion about The Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black American military pilots. In this lesson, students will learn about the Tuskegee Airmen’s contributions during World War II and how their valiant efforts paved the way for desegregating the military and American society.

Turn on Discuss Mode in the video lesson to have meaningful classroom discussions. Prompts will appear at specific points during the video and pause to facilitate further discussion and exploration of the Tuskegee Airmen.

10. Have students teach the Civil Rights Movement

The fight for civil rights was the fight for equality. In this song, witness Martin Luther King Jr. use the most powerful weapon of all: words. The Civil Rights song covers the passing of the Civil Rights Bill, the Voting Rights Act, and Brown v. Board of Education. But MLK couldn’t always keep the peace, and the song also covers some of the more violent moments in the fight for civil rights, including the assassinations of JFK and Malcolm X.

After watching the Civil Rights Movement video, assign or have students pick an event from the Civil Rights Movement to create their own lesson about. Have them teach about the topic to the class – they can even use Flocabulary as a teaching tool! This will deepen students’ understanding of key events in Black history while building their skills in interpreting and explaining events in a style that’s appropriate to a certain audience.

11. Match Flocabulary lyrics to Black historical figures

With Flocabulary’s catchy songs, students will remember specific facts and lyrics about historical figures and events. After reviewing songs and videos about different historical Black figures, have students read the lyrics of the songs and write the name of the historical figure the lyric is about. Download these Black History Month activities and print this worksheet to test out students’ memory and knowledge!

12. Explore all of Flocabulary’s Black history videos and activities

There are even more Black History Month activities and lesson videos to choose from! Flocabulary’s video-based lessons create emotional connections by harnessing the power of music, storytelling, and poetry. These high-quality videos captivate students and make the learning experience memorable and interesting. Click below to explore more lessons you can teach for Black History Month.

Start using these Black History Month activities

We’re so excited to see you put these activities and videos to use in your classroom to celebrate Black History Month. Flocabulary has engaging hip-hop standards-aligned videos and lessons you can use for all K-12 Subjects. These lessons not only deliver rigorous and relevant learning experiences, they also authentically and actively engage students. If you’re interested in exploring more resources for Black History Month, read our Racial Justice Resource Guide . Happy Black History Month!

• Fun ways to teach multiplication tables using video lessons & songs
• Racial Justice and Equity in Education: Resource Guide

Black History Month ELA Activities & Resources

Looking for ways to acknowledge Black History Month in the ELA classroom? Look no further. This post covers various poems, short stories, and engaging activities that are perfect for celebrating black voices in literature this month and beyond.

With February being Black History Month, it’s the perfect time to showcase the black voices of the past and present in the ELA classroom. While I encourage you to extend the representation of black authors across the school year, Black History Month provides a springboard for meaningful and relevant discussions around race, identity, inequality, and literature in general.

There are many ways to incorporate Black History Month in the ELA classroom, between reading influential works of literature, researching to influence people, and holding meaningful discussions. To help you celebrate Black History Month in your ELA classroom, I’ve put together a list of poems, short stories, and activities you can teach this month and beyond.

Poems to Teach During Black History Month

Poetry might be one of my favorite ways to celebrate black voices in the ELA classroom during Black History Month. Not only do these poems highlight black voices, but they also make for engaging discussions, critical thinking, and enlightening analysis. Regardless of how you choose to incorporate these poems into your classroom, one thing cannot be denied: while the poems below are short, the messages they carry run deep.

1. “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes

At its core, this poem is about resilience and hope, despite the difficulties life throws your way. Hughes beautifully employs an extended metaphor about climbing a set of stairs, contrasting the staircase climbed by whites versus people of color. While the message of resilience is certainly universal, the poem serves as a well-crafted representation of determination and survival in the face of American racism in the 1920s.

After reading the poem, it’s always fun to ask students to write a parent-to-child poem to their hypothetical future child. What would be the advice and encouragement they would give?

2. “I, Too” by Langston Hughes

“I, Too” is another beautifully crafted poem by Hughes that explores themes of racism and the American identity. The poem, told through the eyes of a black man, details the realities of finding one’s American identity as a black man during the Harlem Renaissance. However, the power of the poem lies in its prideful tone as the speaker of the poem stands by the fact that, despite racial inequalities, he is part of America.

This poem is a great segue into a discussion about whether or not the words and themes still resonate with minorities in America today.

3. “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou

Angelou crafts a poignant yet inspirational message with her poem, “Still I Rise.” This is a poem about resilience, self-respect, and self-love. “Still I Rise” tells a story of loving oneself despite the judgment, hate, and oppression from others. It’s a story of not letting life’s hardships determine one’s worth or success. Have students analyze how the repetition of the phrase “still I rise” throughout the poem emphasizes the poem’s overall message.

With its references to historical and current challenges faced by the black community, this poem is a great discussion starter around the black identity in America as well as self-acceptance and determination. 

4. “For My People” by Margaret Walker

Walker’s poem is a beautiful tale of love and heartache, hardships and triumphs, and challenges and resilience. She skillfully explores these paradoxes throughout the piece, crafting a message of both tragic truth and hopes for the future. Have students unpack the references Walker makes throughout her poem, discussing how they come together to tell a powerful and thought-provoking history of African Americans.

Students can analyze the structure and strong diction Walker employed through her poem and how it balances a sense of racial injustice while building toward her message of hope, resilience, and freedom.

5. The Laws of Motion by Nikki Giovanni

Introduce Giovanni’s “The Laws of Motion” by asking students if they can recall Newton’s Laws of Motion.  Not only does this call upon student’s prior knowledge, but it opens the doors for some really powerful discussions after reading Giovanni’s poem as students connect the dots between Newton’s scientific findings and the poem’s underlying message: just like the Laws of Motion are constantly impacting everyday life, so are the realities of racism, discrimination, and stereotypes of people of color.

Students can unpack the implications this poem has regarding racism, identity, and humanity in general.

6. American History by Michael S. Harper

Michael S. Harper’s “American History” is the perfect example of how few words can say much. While the entire poem is just 39 words, it packs a powerful punch. First published in 1970, the poem is rooted in reference to a 1960s church bombing in Birmingham that killed four young girls. Have students look up the incident to strengthen their understanding of Harper’s allusion used to call out the injustices and tragedies faced by black people throughout history.

The poem ends with a powerful question, “Can’t find what you can’t see, can you?” to call out the continued ignorance of the American people around the realities of racism in both the past and present, giving students plenty to talk about.

7. “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman

At just 22 years old, Gorman’s youthful inspiration resonates with younger generations as she calls for hope, resilience, and unity. I recommend showing a video of Gorman reading her poem at the 2021 Inauguration to achieve full effect. I love asking students to unpack Gorman’s final lines:  “For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” What are the implications of these final words on our students? On society as a whole?

This poem makes for a powerful and inspiring  modern-day connection to many of the other poems on the list, including “Mother to Son,” “Still I Rise,” and “For My People.”

Short Stories to Teach During Black History Month

Short stories are another powerful learning tool for exposing students to a variety of voices and perspectives. They make for great mentor texts when teaching literary devices or conducting close readings . Additionally, they are the perfect short texts to pair with longer novel studies. Discover some of my favorite short stories by black authors to teach during Black History Month and beyond in the list below.

1. “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston’s story is a strong example of characterization, specifically the development of protagonist Delia’s character, which ultimately leads to her sense of victory following the story’s plot-twist end.

2. “Main Street” by Jacqueline Woodson

While race isn’t a glaring focus of the story, Woodson does a beautiful job candidly weaving in instances of racial prejudices throughout this story, providing a springboard for deeper discussion.

3. Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

This story is an excellent way for students to explore internal and external conflict while discussing the prominent themes of individual identity and cultural, societal, and familial norms and expectations. It’s also a great example of first-person narration.

4. “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes

In addition to having wonderful characterization, this story is a short, yet powerful piece about the power of kindness and empathy and the implications of stereotypes and passing judgment on others.

5.  “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

.This story is the perfect opportunity to guide students toward a meaningful discussion around expectations and the influence and control parents can have over their children’s identities. As you can imagine, students have a lot to say about this matter. 

6. “So What Are You, Anyway?” by Lawrence Hill

Students must read between the lines to understand the message and growing tension in Lawrence Hill’s “So What Are You, Anyway?” Thanks to Hill’s strong use of indirect characterizations, this is the perfect piece for students to practice making inferences.

7. “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara

Students always find this story highly relatable as they recall their own experiences of realizing the harsh realities of the world in which we live. Furthermore, this story is the perfect springboard for discussions around social, racial, and financial inequality.

8. “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison

In addition to unpacking the relationship between the two main characters, students will love the challenge of deciding which character is which race, opening the doors for discussion about race relations and stereotypes.

Engaging Activities for Black History Month in the ELA Classroom

Incorporating Black History Month in the ELA classroom should go beyond reading black voices. There are tons of ways to immerse your students on a deeper level, engaging them in various activities that promote deeper insight and inspire further critical thought.

Here are some of my favorite activities for Black History Month:

• Black History Month One-pager : Have students research important African American figures in literature or history in general and compile a concise and creative one-pager report. Alternatively, you can assign a one-pager project to accompany any of the short stories or poems mentioned in this post. Use these one-pager templates for hassle-free planning.
• Blackout Poetry: Assigning a blackout poetry project is a great way to get students thinking deeply about the power words hold to relay themes, emotions, and experiences. Have students create blackout poetry using pages from the works of black authors to summarize a specific concept or theme, or even to express their own identities.
• Black History Month Bulletin Board: This digital interactive bulletin board is the perfect activity to engage students with Black History Month. This project gets students to research, analyze, synthesize, and make connections as they explore important figures who have changed the course of race relations and social justice in America.
• Literary Device Scavenger Hunt: A scavenger hunt is an engaging activity for getting students to interact with the work of black authors while reviewing the impact literary devices can have on a piece of literature. Set up various stations with an array of excerpts, short stories, and poems by black authors and send students on a scavenger hunt to find examples of a list of literary devices.
• Quote of the Day: Kicking off class with a quote of the day is a simple yet engaging way to start the day. For the month of February, focus on using quotes by influential black figures as an effective way to acknowledge their contributions to literature, history, science, and society as a whole. These quotes provide a low barrier to entry for engaging classroom discussions and help set the tone for the rest of the class period.

A Final Word on Teaching During Black History Month

Teaching during Black history month is so much more than talking about the Civil Rights Movement. We can’t stop at discussing key figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Ruby Bridges. Instead, Black History Month is the perfect opportunity to showcase diversity even within Black voices in literature.

I hope this post inspires you and helps you shake things up when teaching Black voices during Black History Month and beyond.

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Black History Month Activities for High School Students

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Last Update: May 10, 2024

Black History Month a unique opportunity to delve deep into the rich and multifaceted history of African Americans, exploring their struggles, achievements, and enduring impact on society. Engaging high schoolers in Black History Month activities is not just about recounting historical facts; it’s about fostering a profound understanding and appreciation for the contributions of Black individuals throughout history.

In this post, we’ll explore a variety of dynamic and educational Black History Month activities for high school students, designed to spark curiosity, promote empathy, and encourage critical thinking. From analyzing iconic speeches to creating social justice art projects, these activities aim to provide students with a deeper insight into the Black experience in America and beyond.

Related: Black History Month Resources for Teachers

Here are some of our suggestions for Black History Month activities for high school students

1. Black History Videos

Curate a list of impactful TED talks on Black history and culture. After watching a selected video in class, engage students in pre- and post-viewing discussions. Prepare questions that encourage critical thinking about the themes presented and facilitate group discussions to explore different viewpoints and insights. This activity not only educates but also fosters empathy and a deeper understanding of Black history’s complexities.

2. Create Videos

Encourage students to use digital tools like WeVideo or Canva Video to create short documentaries or explanatory videos on a chosen theme related to Black history. This project allows students to delve into research, scriptwriting, and video editing, culminating in a presentation where they can share their work with peers. It’s a powerful way to engage with history creatively and personally.

3. Group Projects

Assign students to groups and have them select a Black history theme to explore using primary resources from National Archives or other reputable sources. They could prepare a presentation or document to share with the class or publish on the class or school website. This collaborative effort encourages deep research, critical analysis, and effective communication skills.

4. Black History Figures

Divide students into groups, assigning each a different field (e.g., sports, medicine, law). Task each group with researching Black figures who have revolutionized their assigned area. This activity highlights the widespread impact of Black individuals across various sectors and fosters a greater appreciation for their contributions to society.

Black History Poems

Inspired by poets like Amanda Gorman , ask students to write their own poems reflecting themes of Black history. Initiating a discussion about Gorman’s work or other Black poets can provide a rich foundation for students to draw inspiration from. This activity encourages self-expression and a personal connection to the themes explored.

Decorate Class

Use printables, posters, and student-created artwork to decorate the classroom with themes of Black history. Engaging students in this hands-on activity not only beautifies the learning environment but also makes the history they’re studying a visible part of their daily lives.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Roadways

Utilize the National Geographic Map of roads named in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., as a starting point for discussions about his impact across the United States. This activity can expand into a deeper exploration of his life, the civil rights movement, and how his legacy continues to influence America.

“I Have a Dream” Speech Activities

Leverage resources to delve into Martin Luther King Jr.’s “ I Have a Dream ” speech. Activities can include watching videos, analyzing the speech’s rhetorical strategies, and discussing its historical context and lasting impact. Encourage students to reflect on how King’s vision resonates in today’s society.

Virtual Tours of Black History Museums

Take virtual tours of institutions like the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture or explore virtual Harlem . These tours offer students immersive experiences to learn about Black history, culture, and contributions in a dynamic and accessible way.

Introduce Black History Vocabulary

Introduce key vocabulary related to diversity, inclusion, and Black history. Facilitate discussions on these terms, encouraging students to reflect on their meanings and how they apply to both historical contexts and current events. This activity fosters a more inclusive and empathetic classroom environment.

Black History Month Books

Create a curated list of books that delve into the Black experience in America. Encourage students to read works by Black authors, ranging from historical accounts to fiction, poetry, and memoirs. This initiative can include a book club format where students choose a book to read and then come together to discuss its themes, characters, and impact. Through literature, students can gain a deeper understanding of the struggles, triumphs, and rich narratives that have shaped Black history and continue to influence society today.

Black History Month Music

Compile a playlist of music genres that are rooted in Black culture, such as jazz, blues, gospel, hip-hop, and R&B. Discuss the origins of each genre and its cultural significance, highlighting how music has been a form of expression, resistance, and celebration throughout Black history. You could also organize listening sessions or a mini “music festival” in class, where students can experience the evolution of these genres over time. By exploring the soundtrack of the movement, students not only enjoy the rich musical heritage but also understand its pivotal role in shaping and reflecting the Black experience in America.

Analyze Civil Rights Movement Speeches

Select key speeches from the Civil Rights Movement for students to analyze. This could include famous addresses by Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Angela Davis, and others. Students can explore the rhetorical strategies employed, the historical context of each speech, and its impact on the movement and beyond. Encourage them to present their analyses, highlighting how these speeches used language to inspire, mobilize, and effect change.

Black History Debate Club

Organize debates on significant events or figures in Black history, such as the impact of the Harlem Renaissance on American culture or the effectiveness of nonviolent versus militant approaches in the Civil Rights Movement. This activity encourages students to research different viewpoints, develop persuasive arguments, and engage in respectful discourse, fostering critical thinking and a deeper understanding of complex historical narratives.

Black Entrepreneurs and Innovators Project

Task students with researching Black entrepreneurs and innovators past and present, from Madam C.J. Walker to contemporary figures like Robert F. Smith. Students can create presentations or write profiles exploring these individuals’ contributions to their industries and their roles in shaping economic landscapes. This project sheds light on the significant, yet often overlooked, impact of Black individuals in the business world.

Social Justice Art Project

Encourage students to create art pieces inspired by themes of social justice, equality, and Black history. This could be in any medium—painting, digital art, sculpture, or mixed media. Host an exhibition of the completed works to facilitate discussions about the messages and emotions conveyed through art. This activity allows students to explore and express their understanding of Black history and contemporary issues creatively.

Interactive Timeline Project

Have students collaborate on creating an interactive timeline of Black history , highlighting key events, figures, and cultural milestones. This could be a digital project using software that allows for the incorporation of images, text, and multimedia elements, or a physical timeline in the classroom. Encouraging students to dive into different eras and themes, this project can help them visualize the breadth and interconnectedness of Black history across centuries and continents.

Related: Black History Month Activities for Kids and Elementary Students

Final thoughts

Incorporating these Black History Month activities for high school students into your curriculum can transform how young people perceive and engage with history. By moving beyond traditional lectures to more interactive and creative approaches, you can ignite students’ passions and inspire them to learn more about the rich fabric of Black history. These activities not only educate but also empower students, encouraging them to reflect on their roles in a diverse society and how they can contribute to a more equitable and inclusive future.

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Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational technology landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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Black History Month Activities

Welcome to ReadingVine’s collection of Black History Month activities! This dedicated section serves as a treasure trove for educators seeking to enrich their classrooms with insightful and high-quality resources like worksheets, task cards, and extension activities. These educator-created tools will surely deepen student learning and appeal to a diverse range of 21st century learning needs.

From engaging passages that highlight influential figures to thoughtfully crafted worksheets that foster reflection and critical thinking, we’re proud to present a host of literacy tools that can promote understanding and celebrate diversity. Whether you’re celebrating notable African Americans, Black History Month, or African culture, empower your students to explore, learn, and appreciate the profound contributions of this important group. Together, let’s cultivate an inclusive learning environment that echoes the vibrance of Black History Month all year long!

Black History Month Reading Passages

This printable reading comprehension activity includes a passage about Elijah McCoy along with a set of related questions.

Read through this passage and answer questions as you learn about George Washington Carver.

Learn about Lewis Latimer with this printable reading passage. Then, answer a set of related comprehension questions.

Read about Patricia Bath and answer related questions with our printable reading activity!

Here, you'll find a printable reading comprehension activity focusing on Granville T. Woods.

This printable activity focusing on Bessie Blount Griffin includes a short reading passage and a set of related comprehension questions for students.

Use this printable worksheet to learn about Frederick Douglass! Includes a short passage and set of comprehension questions.

Learn all about Madam C.J. Walker with this printable reading comprehension activity.

Our printable worksheet on Jackie Robinson includes a passage for students to read through along with a set of related comprehension questions.

Here, you'll find a printable reading comprehension activity including a passage and questions focusing on Sojourner Truth.

Read through this printable activity focusing on The Emancipation Proclamation.

Here, you'll find a printable reading comprehension worksheet with a short passage and set of questions.

Read through this short passage from Uncle Tom's Cabin and answer a set of related comprehension questions.

Students will be asked to complete the word search focusing on Black History Month vocabulary words. Includes words written vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and backwards.

This printable Black History Month Vocabulary Activity focuses on a set of vocabulary words and asks students to write the word in the blank next to the correct definition.

This matching activity focuses on important figures for Black History Month, such as: Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and more. Students will match the historical figure to a description.

This printable main idea activity includes a short excerpt about Bessie Blount Griffin and asks students to find the main idea.

Students will read through the passage about Elijah McCoy. Then, they will write the main idea and two supporting details from the passage.

Read through this passage about George Washington Carver. Then, find the main idea and write down one fact you learned from the passage.

This printable activity asks students to read the passage about Jackie Robinson and then write the main idea in their own words.

Check out these printable activities that focus on modern influencers for Black History Month.

These Black History Month printable extension activities focus on celebrating scientists.

Students will learn about different women in Black History with these printable extension activities.

Quotes From Influential Figures: Black History Month

Here, you'll find a set of printable pages that include famous quotes by Martin Luther King Jr.

These printable pages include famous quotes by Rosa Parks. Great for use in the classroom or at home!

Read through famous quotes by Frederick Douglass with these printable quote pages.

This set of printable pages includes a variety of famous quotes by Jackie Robinson.

Here, you'll find a variety of printable pages that include Louis Armstrong quotes.

These printable pages include famous quotes said by Harriet Tubman.

Read through these famous quotes by Mae Jemison from our printable quote pages.

Here, you'll find a list of famous Jesse Owens quotes, along with printables that include individual quotes.

Read through these Thurgood Marshall quotes and print them out for use both at home or in the classroom.

Use these printable pages of Booker T. Washington quotes as a great resource for students in the classroom or at home!

Black History Month Activities & Resources

February is Black History Month

February is Black History Month. Help your students learn about and celebrate the important Black contributions to the American and global story with our cross-curricular lesson plans, worksheets, projects, quizzes, and activities below.

Why Do We Teach Black History Month?

As with any number of topics, approaches to teaching Black history have evolved and changed over the years. While it's roots go back to the early 20th century, Black History Month as a national observance was created as a way to focus attention on the contributions of Black Americans that had been overlooked, marginalized, and outright ignored as part of conventional American history lessons. As President Ford said when announcing the month-long observance in 1976, “In celebrating Black History Month, we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

For the most part, this led to a fairly "traditional" look at Black historical figures in the classroom - with a heavy emphasis on inspirational people and stories, but little context around the "hard history," as Black educator Rann Miller calls it, of the Black experience. "I was told of Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass. I heard very little of Malcolm X, the FBI’s campaign against civil rights leaders...I was taught about the marches and firehoses in Alabama, but I had to teach myself about the acts of terrorism committed against Black people in Rosewood, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Wilmington, North Carolina," says Miller in a widely-read and influential essay .

Over the past several years, as high-profile events like the murder of George Floyd have forced a reckoning look at systemic racism and inequality in the United States, the teaching of Black history has become more contextual and less personality-driven. It's still important to highlight the considerable achievements of Black Americans for students - but many teachers are also using Black History Month to "explore the impact of racism in the Black experience," as Miller puts it. 

What to Teach for Black History Month

These TeacherVision resources were commissioned or curated to give teachers a wide selection of approaches to integrating Black History Month into existing curriculum. You'll find lesson plans, student choice activities, printables, videos, and more for all of the major curriculum areas - Social Studies, Reading, Math, and Science. 

Choice Boards and Projects

Black History Month Project - Black Pioneers in Medicine

Black History Month Choice Board for Middle School

Educational Videos & Activities

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Videos & Activities
• Slavery & The Civil War Videos & Activities

Technology Resources

• African Storytellers
• African-American Heroes
• Hour of Code: Code a Slideshow for Black History Month

Black History Worksheets for Grades K-5

• Black History Month Profile: Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron
• Black History Month Profile: Young Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman
• Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
• Cultures Day Project Ideas

The Civil Rights Movement

• "I Have a Dream" Little Book
• Jackie Robinson Biography & Activities

Black History Worksheets for Grades 6-8

• Black History Month Profiles: Great African American Poets from Across the Generations
• The Underground Railroad Matching Activity
• The Life and Accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Fever 1793 Teacher's Guide
• I Have a Dream
• The Harlem Renaissance Activities
• Sarah Boone Coloring Page

Black History Worksheets for Grades 9-12

• Black Lives Matter E-Book: A Movement for Racial Justice

Billie Holiday's Song "Strange Fruit"

Defining Jazz Music

Visualizing Jazz Scenes of the Harlem Renaissance

Jazz and Math: Improvisation Permutations

Jazz and Math: Rhythmic Innovations

• African-American Gospel Music
• Black History Word Search

Black History Month Lesson Plans for Grades K-5

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Leader
• Triangular Trade in the Atlantic Ocean
• Write a Letter to Jesse Owens
• Activities for African Folk Tales
• Percussion Performance and Culture
• Influencing Others in Our World

Black History Month Lesson Plans for Grades 6-8

• The Underground Railroad
• The Struggle Against Segregation
• Jackie Robinson and Civil Rights
• Interactive Timeline
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Receives the Nobel Peace Prize

Black History Resources

• African Folk Tales: Background Information

A Raisin in the Sun

Maniac Magee Literature Guide

• Jackie Robinson Coloring Page
• Rosa Parks Coloring Page
• Civil Rights Movement Playlist

EDITOR'S COLLECTIONS

• Top 10 Children's Books for Black History Month
• Top 10 Martin Luther King Activities
• 20 Black History Month Activities
• Kwanzaa Activities (Grades K-8)
• Coloring Book of African-Americans Slideshow
• Civil Rights Quiz
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Quiz
• ABC Order -- Famous Black Americans
• Kwanzaa Facts Quiz
• Black History Month Quiz
• Kwanzaa Word Problems
• Coretta Scott King Award Winners
• Dwight D. Eisenhower's Little Rock Response
• Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life
• Assassinations and Attempts in U.S. Since 1865
• Amendments to the Constitution of the United States
• Amendments to the Constitution: Voting
• Harriet Tubman Biography

Music & Drama Activities

• A Jazz Talk Show
• Learning through The Duke
• Exhibit Scoring Guide
• Assessment of Learning Through "The Duke" Lesson

Language Arts Activities

In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

• Historical Fiction Reading Warm-Up: Rosa Parks
• Harriet Tubman Writing Activity
• Juneteenth - African Americans Word search

Recommended Black History Month Resources

LESSON PLANS

African-American Scientists: A Comprehensive Social Media Account Project

BOOK GUIDES

The Hate U Give Teaching Guide

Black History Month: Modern Influencers – Reading Comprehension Activities

CHOICE BOARDS

Black History Month Writing Choice Board for Middle School

Grade 3 Holiday Math and Literacy Kit

Notable African-American Women Quiz

EDITOR'S COLLECTIONS

Martin Luther King, Jr. & Black History Month Activities Packet

Langston Hughes, an Everyday Poet

Martin Luther King, Jr. Videos & Activities

Kente Cloth

Dr. Mae Jemison Coloring Page

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Fifth Grade Black History Month Worksheets

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Knowing the Past Opens the Door to the Future: The Continuing Importance of Black History Month

No one has played a greater role in helping all Americans know the black past than Carter G. Woodson, the individual who created Negro History Week in Washington, D.C., in February 1926. Woodson was the second black American to receive a PhD in history from Harvard—following W.E.B. Du Bois by a few years. To Woodson, the black experience was too important simply to be left to a small group of academics. Woodson believed that his role was to use black history and culture as a weapon in the struggle for racial uplift. By 1916, Woodson had moved to DC and established the “Association for the Study of Negro Life and Culture,” an organization whose goal was to make black history accessible to a wider audience. Woodson was a strange and driven man whose only passion was history, and he expected everyone to share his passion.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, late 1940s

This impatience led Woodson to create Negro History Week in 1926, to ensure that school children be exposed to black history. Woodson chose the second week of February in order to celebrate the birthday of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. It is important to realize that Negro History Week was not born in a vacuum. The 1920s saw the rise in interest in African American culture that was represented by the Harlem Renaissance where writers like Langston Hughes, Georgia Douglass Johnson, Claude McKay—wrote about the joys and sorrows of blackness, and musicians like Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Jimmy Lunceford captured the new rhythms of the cities created in part by the thousands of southern blacks who migrated to urban centers like Chicago. And artists like Aaron Douglass, Richmond Barthé, and Lois Jones created images that celebrated blackness and provided more positive images of the African American experience.

Woodson hoped to build upon this creativity and further stimulate interest through Negro History Week. Woodson had two goals. One was to use history to prove to white America that blacks had played important roles in the creation of America and thereby deserve to be treated equally as citizens. In essence, Woodson—by celebrating heroic black figures—be they inventors, entertainers, or soldiers—hoped to prove our worth, and by proving our worth—he believed that equality would soon follow. His other goal was to increase the visibility of black life and history, at a time when few newspapers, books, and universities took notice of the black community, except to dwell upon the negative. Ultimately Woodson believed Negro History Week—which became Black History Month in 1976—would be a vehicle for racial transformation forever.

The question that faces us today is whether or not Black History Month is still relevant? Is it still a vehicle for change? Or has it simply become one more school assignment that has limited meaning for children. Has Black History Month become a time when television and the media stack their black material? Or is it a useful concept whose goals have been achieved? After all, few—except the most ardent rednecks - could deny the presence and importance of African Americans to American society or as my then-14 year old daughter Sarah put it, “I see Colin Powell everyday on TV, all my friends—black and white—are immersed in black culture through music and television. And America has changed dramatically since 1926—Is not it time to retire Black History Month as we have eliminated white and colored signs on drinking fountains?” I will spare you the three hour lesson I gave her.

I would like to suggest that despite the profound change in race relations that has occurred in our lives, Carter G. Woodson’s vision for black history as a means of transformation and change is still quite relevant and quite useful. African American history month, with a bit of tweaking, is still a beacon of change and hope that is still surely needed in this world. The chains of slavery are gone—but we are all not yet free. The great diversity within the black community needs the glue of the African American past to remind us of not just how far we have traveled but lo, how far there is to go.

While there are many reasons and examples that I could point towards, let me raise five concerns or challenges that African Americans — in fact — all Americans — face that black history can help address:

The Challenge of Forgetting

You can tell a great deal about a country and a people by what they deem important enough to remember, to create moments for — what they put in their museum and what they celebrate. In Scandinavia — there are monuments to the Vikings as a symbol of freedom and the spirit of exploration. In Germany during the 1930s and 1940s, the Nazis celebrated their supposed Aryan supremacy through monument and song. While America traditionally revels in either Civil War battles or founding fathers. Yet I would suggest that we learn even more about a country by what it chooses to forget — its mistakes, its disappointments, and its embarrassments. In some ways, African American History month is a clarion call to remember. Yet it is a call that is often unheeded.

Let’s take the example of one of the great unmentionable in American history — slavery. For nearly 250 years slavery not only existed but it was one of the dominant forces in American life. Political clout and economic fortune depended on the labor of slaves. And the presence of this peculiar institution generated an array of books, publications, and stories that demonstrate how deeply it touched America. And while we can discuss basic information such as the fact that in 1860 — 4 million blacks were enslaved, and that a prime field hand cost $1,000, while a female, with her childbearing capability, brought $1,500, we find few moments to discuss the impact, legacy, and contemporary meaning of slavery.

In 1988, the Smithsonian Institution, about to open an exhibition that included slavery, decided to survey 10,000 Americans. The results were fascinating — 92% of white respondents felt slavery had little meaning to them — these respondents often said “my family did not arrive until after the end of slavery.” Even more disturbing was the fact that 79% of African Americans expressed no interest or some embarrassment about slavery. It is my hope that with greater focus and collaboration Black History Month can stimulate discussion about a subject that both divides and embarrasses.

As a historian, I have always felt that slavery is an African American success story because we found ways to survive, to preserve our culture and our families. Slavery is also ripe with heroes, such as slaves who ran away or rebelled, like Harriet Tubman or Denmark Vessey, but equally important are the forgotten slave fathers and mothers who raised families and kept a people alive. I am not embarrassed by my slave ancestors; I am in awe of their strength and their humanity. I would love to see the African American community rethink its connection to our slave past. I also think of something told to me by a Mr. Johnson, who was a former sharecropper I interviewed in Georgetown, SC:

Though the slaves were bought, they were also brave. Though they were sold, they were also strong.

The Challenge of Preserving a People’s Culture

While the African American community is no longer invisible, I am unsure that as a community we are taking the appropriate steps to ensure the preservation of African American cultural patrimony in appropriate institutions. Whether we like it or not, museums, archives, and libraries not only preserves culture they legitimize it. Therefore, it is incumbent of African Americans to work with cultural institutions to preserve their family photography, documents, and objects. While African Americans have few traditions of giving material to museums, it is crucial that more of the black past make it into American cultural repositories.

A good example is the Smithsonian, when the National Museum of American History wanted to mount an exhibition on slavery, it found it did not have any objects that described slavery. That is partially a response to a lack of giving by the African American Community. This lack of involvement also affects the preservation of black historic sites. Though there has been more attention paid to these sites, too much of our history has been paved over, gone through urban renewal, gentrified, or unidentified, or un-acknowledged. Hopefully a renewed Black History Month can focus attention on the importance of preserving African American culture.

There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering.

The Challenge of Maintaining a Community

As the African American Community diversifies and splinters, it is crucial to find mechanisms and opportunities to maintain our sense of community. As some families lose the connection with their southern roots, it is imperative that we understand our common heritage and history. The communal nature of black life has provided substance, guidance, and comfort for generations. And though our communities are quite diverse, it is our common heritage that continues to hold us together.

The Power of Inspiration

One thing has not changed. That is the need to draw inspiration and guidance from the past. And through that inspiration, people will find tools and paths that will help them live their lives. Who could not help but be inspired by Martin Luther King’s oratory, commitment to racial justice, and his ultimate sacrifice. Or by the arguments of William and Ellen Craft or Henry “Box” Brown who used great guile to escape from slavery. Who could not draw substance from the creativity of Madame CJ Walker or the audacity and courage of prize fighter Jack Johnson. Or who could not continue to struggle after listening to the mother of Emmitt Till share her story of sadness and perseverance. I know that when life is tough, I take solace in the poetry of Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, or Gwendolyn Brooks. And I find comfort in the rhythms of Louie Armstrong, Sam Cooke or Dinah Washington. And I draw inspiration from the anonymous slave who persevered so that the culture could continue.

Let me conclude by re-emphasizing that Black History Month continues to serve us well. In part because Woodson’s creation is as much about today as it is about the past. Experiencing Black History Month every year reminds us that history is not dead or distant from our lives.

Rather, I see the African American past in the way my daughter’s laugh reminds me of my grandmother. I experience the African American past when I think of my grandfather choosing to leave the South rather than continue to experience share cropping and segregation. Or when I remember sitting in the back yard listening to old men tell stories. Ultimately, African American History — and its celebration throughout February — is just as vibrant today as it was when Woodson created it 85 years ago. Because it helps us to remember there is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering.

Lonnie Bunch Founding Director

Subtitle here for the credits modal.

New Textbook Makes Black History Relevant 365 Days Of The Year

There’s an opportunity every day to be inspired by black history., share the post, share this link via, or copy link.

I t always seems like Black History Month is over before you know it. For just 28 days out of the year, the country is exposed to the rich history of Black folks beyond the two chapters they were taught in grade school: slavery and civil rights. Unfortunately, the rarely told legacy of African-American contributions that students learn about during Black History Month can many times be quickly forgotten once February ends.

That is precisely the reason why a three-person team has developed a Black history textbook that offers a “gateway to connecting history to daily life” beyond February.

SEE ALSO: Black History Comes Alive Through Rap Videos

Black History 365 (BH 365) is an interactive U.S. history textbook that tells stories from the beginning in Ancient Africa through modern events and moments. It documents unique narratives of Black people with lessons that come alive through more than 3,000 original artifacts, including resources and curriculum for teachers and sections for families and small groups.

It is scheduled for release in the 2019 – 2020 academic year.

NewsOne sat down with the co-authors (Dr. Walter Milton Jr., a former school superintendent; Joel Freeman , a former NBA chaplain and founder of the Freeman Institute Black History Collection ; and Heather R. Sanders , a former middle school educator and educational leader in Nashville) to find out more about BH 365.

What’s the goal of Black History 365?

Milton: To impact the lives of children across this great nation, particularly Black children. Black children have an education that’s void of anything that reminds them of their greatness and excellence in terms of achievement.

This textbook is for teachers and students in K-2, 3-5,6-8 and 9-12. It includes all of the components teachers need to be successful in delivering the information.

What makes Black History 365 different from what’s currently on the market?

Sanders: First, it helps to address the literacy gap. We have activities, assignments and tasks that are directly related to learning standards. BH 365 gives teachers a chance to collaborate and to utilize the curriculum in a number of ways, not just history.

Plus, Dr. Freeman’s Black history collection in the Freeman Institute is like none other. The pieces are of historical importance, and he’s allowed us to use them. They are mind-blowing. It will certainly inspire students and allow them to see things in history that they’ve never seen before.

And when you talk about the teacher resources that are available, they address concerns about the discomfort educators may have to introduce some of the historical facts in Black history.

All of that sets us apart from any other history book.

How does the textbook help to make Black history relevant beyond Black History Month?

Freeman: For us, Black History 365 is not transactional but missional—you could probably hear it in our voices. The number 365 is intentional. Every day there’s an opportunity to be inspired and receive the wisdom of history, and then apply it to our lives. Wisdom is the application of knowledge, and knowledge is power. That’s great, but how do you apply that? That’s really what we’re all about—the application of this knowledge in everyday life, and that’s why the name.

We’re also developing an app. We will blast everyone’s cellphone about a piece of Black history or inspirational statement.

We also have the concept of Black History 180—that’s about changing hearts and minds about the significance of Black history.

Are you promoting BH 365 beyond predominantly Black school districts?

Sanders: Absolutely. Black history is American history—not something different, even though it’s been ignored or there’s some fear factor involved. Because of that, this history is for anyone.

It’s important to tell students the truth. So, the longer that we don’t do that, the worse off I think we will be. And we have to find moments and things to celebrate with Black people and our history and not just relate everything back to slavery or civil rights. We talk about slavery trade and civil rights in the textbook, but the book is about so much more than that and really letting all people know — Black students, white students, Hispanic and Asian students — let them know Black people were significant to the founding of this country.

Parents, teachers and school administrators are encouraged to visit the BH 365 website, BlackHistoryMatters.org , where they can find the answers to any questions about this revolutionary approach to teaching Black history.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority To Donate $1.6M To HBCUs During Black History Month

African Americans Are Choosing Homeschooling To Teach Kids Black History

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