Deep Dive into Black History: 13 Events + Resources for Educators

There are a great many figures, moments, and concepts to highlight while teaching Black history in the classroom. But as information about possible material and approaches becomes more widely available, it can be overwhelming to identify the best tools, strategies, and resources.

Below is a curated list of classroom resources and educator-relevant events available from Facing History’s peer and partner organizations across the education space this month and beyond. 
 

The National Museum of African American History and Culture
Opened in 2016 as part of the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only museum in the United States dedicated to documenting African American life, history, and culture. During the rest of this Black History Month, they are offering a number of riveting educational events that you and your students will not want to miss.

• Feb 22: Historically Speaking: A Great Moral and Social Force—Conversation with Timothy Todd
• Feb 24: An Evening with Secretary Bunch and Ras Baraka
• Feb 26: Taking the Stage: Death and the King’s Horseman – A Play Reading
  
   

The Learning Network at The New York Times
The Learning Network at The  New York Times provides educators with a rich array of resources intended to “bring the world into your classroom.” Since 1998, they have helped middle and high school educators bring New York Times content into classrooms through unique teaching tools. Consider these lessons during Black History Month and beyond:

• Learning with the ‘Black History Continued’ Series
• When Blackness is a Superpower
• Four Studies in Black Healing
• Bringing Black History to Life in the Great Outdoors
• The Black Woman Artist Who Crafted a Life She Was Told She Couldn’t Have
• Black Surfers Reclaim Their Place on the Waves
  
   

StoryCorps
StoryCorps is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. StoryCorps also offers a number of initiatives including StoryCorps Griot—an initiative to “ensure that the voices, experiences, and life stories of African Americans will be preserved and presented with dignity.” Here are some of their resources connecting Black history to contemporary Black experiences through story:

• A More Perfect Union
• The Boy From Troy: How Dr. King Inspired A Young John Lewis
• Philadelphia Poll Worker Supports Her Community, and Inspires Daughter to Do the Same
• 'Why Do You Take Me To Protests So Much?': A Black Father Answers Tough Questions From His Son

Facing History invites educators to use our Black History Month Resource Collection for classroom instruction this month and beyond.