February is Black History Month: Black Women in American Culture and History

Presidential Proclamation – January 31, 2012 – BARACK OBAMA

NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH, 2012

The story of African Americans is a story of resilience and perseverance. It traces a people who refused to accept the circumstances under which they arrived on these shores, and it chronicles the generations who fought for an America that truly reflects the ideals enshrined in our founding documents. It is the narrative of slaves who shepherded others along the path to freedom and preachers who organized against the rules of Jim Crow, of young people who sat-in at lunch counters and ordinary men and women who took extraordinary risks to change our Nation for the better. During National African American History Month, we celebrate the rich legacy of African Americans and honor the remarkable contributions they have made to perfecting our Union.

This year’s theme, “Black Women in American Culture and History,” invites us to pay special tribute to the role African American women have played in shaping the character of our Nation — often in the face of both racial and gender discrimination. As courageous visionaries who led the fight to end slavery and tenacious activists who fought to expand basic civil rights to all Americans, African American women have long served as champions of social and political change. And from the literary giants who gave voice to their communities to the artists whose harmonies and brush strokes captured hardships and aspirations, African American women have forever enriched our cultural heritage. Today, we stand on the shoulders of countless African American women who shattered glass ceilings and advanced our common goals. In recognition of their legacy, let us honor their heroic and historic acts for years to come.

WhiteHouse.gov

President Obama’s proclamation explains the importance of Black History Month much better than I can. Below are our resources for teaching Black History in February and all year long.

The White House Blog – Black History Month: “Shaping the Story of America”

An Amazing American Woman – Maya Angelou

 

• NBC17 Black History Month Special Part I Video
• Our Recent Post: Martin Luther King Jr.- I have a Dream
• Thinkfinity – Black History Month Resources
  • Feb. 1 – The First Civil Rights Sit-In
• Edsitement’s Guide to Black History Month Teaching Resources
• Edsitement Documenting African American History
• Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, OurStory
  • Students ‘Sit’ for Civil Rights
• NAACP Interactive Timeline
• African American Read-In
  • ReadWriteThink Resources for African American Read-In
  • ReadWriteThink Podcast – Celebrating the NCTE African American Read-In. Recommendations for Adolescent Readers
    • Sign up for monthly podcasts.
    • Text Messages: Recommendations for Adolescent Readers. Podcast for Grades 6 – 12
    • Chatting About Books: Recommendations for Young Readers. Podcast for Grades K – 5
  • University of Minnesota Resources for African American Read-In
• Black History Month: Everything You Need – Scholastic.com
• NEA – Black History Month Lessons and Resources** Extensive List
• The Smithsonian – Black History Teaching Resources
• Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day – The Best Websites To Teach & Learn About African-American History
• Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day – The Best Sites To Learn About The Greensboro Sit-Ins (It’s The Fiftieth Anniversary)
• PBS – African American World
• PBS – African American Lives
• Black History Month – History.com
• African American History Month – Library of Congress
• Fact Monster – Black History Month
• The Kulture Kidz – Black History from A-Z
• Teaching Tolerance
  • Celebrate Women This Black History Month
  • Dos and Don’ts of Teaching Black History
  • Trading Cards that Honor True Greatness
• CNN Schools of Thought blog – Black History Month – Background and Resources
• The Long Road to Freedom – Books for Black History Month (School Library Journal)

Share your ideas with us and let us know if you used any of these resources in your classroom.