Black History Month: Why February?
Posted by Michelle Dempsey, Book Specialist on Jan 28th 2016
Tips to Celebrate Black History Month in Your Classroom
Did you know that February was the chosen month for the celebration because of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’s birthdays?
Did you know that Black History Month started out as a week-long celebration, almost 100 years ago?
Did you know that schools across the country have celebrated Black History each February since 1928?
The facts are endless, and so are the learning opportunities for students of all ages. Black History Month in the Kindergarten classroom serves as much of a space for understanding and tolerance as it does in high school classes. Not only is this a time to broaden students’ horizons, acceptance, and understanding, it’s a time to keep reading!
Good thing our book specialists have compiled a list of the best, most engaging and chock-full-of-facts reads for students about to engage in a month-long celebration of the rich and diverse tapestry that is African-American culture.
Author Cedella Marley, daughter of the late, great, Bob Marley has adapted the classic “One Love” tune in this children’s book. Through heartwarming illustrations, this tale will have students swaying to the beat as they learn about the beautiful things that can happen when a community helps one another, regardless of differences. Let’s get together and feel alright. (Grades K-2)
Bud, an orphan on the run in Flint, Michigan, is on the search for his father. This determined 10-year-old will stop at nothing after the loss of his mother and students will find themselves rooting for Bud as he battles monsters and vampires on the way to find his dad. Author Christopher Paul Curtis tugs at the heartstrings with this detailed period-piece set in the 1930’s. Despite the trials and tribulations on his road to success, the feeling of hope takes center stage, much like the purpose of Black History Month. (Grades 2-6)
When an older white man medically darkens his skin tone to brown and leaves his privileged life behind to fully understand the plight of the unemployed black man in the 1950’s Deep South, life gets really real. Journalist John Howard Griffin takes the plunge into “the other side” for a visceral and raw account of the ugly side of racism. This chilling eyewitness account of race and humanity will strike a chord with students and further deepen the demand for tolerance. (Grades 6 and up)
Perhaps one of the most classic tales of the 20th Century, this based-on-the-play read tells the story of a simple family trying to make it through life in 1950’s Chicago. Is becoming a business owner and attending medical school too lofty a goal for the children of the Lee family, or can this single mother and her kids reach for the sky and land among the stars after losing the Patriarch of the home? Author Lorraine Hansberry paints the ever-important picture for students – if you dream it, you can become it, race and adversity aside. (Grades 9 and up)
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