District Events > Celebrating February as Black History Month

Celebrating February as Black History Month

• Overview
• Related Resources
• Contact Information

Overview
Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, initially as "Negro History Week." In 1976, it was extended to a month-long celebration known as "Black History Month." The celebration provides the opportunity to emphasize the history and achievements of African Americans.

Carter G. Woodson (Source: infoplease)

The celebration of Black History Month, and more importantly, the study of black history, is credited to Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Born to parents who were former slaves, he spent his childhood working in the Kentucky coal mines and enrolled in high school at age twenty. He graduated within two years and later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. The scholar was disturbed to find in his studies that history books largely ignored the black American population-and when blacks did figure into the picture, it was generally in ways that reflected the inferior social position they were assigned at the time.

Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Each year, the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education recognizes February as Black History Month with a formal resolution. District staff are encouraged to mark the event as best matches the needs of their school and community. Resources are provided below for staff convenience.

Related Resources

• District Resolution to Recognize February 2008 as Black History Month
• The African American Registry
  Easy to use, the registry calls itself the largest African- American history web site in the world.
• African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship
  Showcases the vast collections of the Library of Congress.
• National Congress of Black Women
  The NCBW supports the advancement of African American women in politics and government. The congress also engages in research on critical issues that affect the quality of life of African American women and youth.
• The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
  The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) is a nonpxrofit, nonpartisan research and education group that works to broaden the influence of African Americans in the areas of politics, legislature, and public policy. The foundation is committed to education and sponsors forums and seminars. The CBCF publishes a newsletter that is available on the website.
• Family Education: Black History Month (Source: familyeducation.com)
  Includes printables, resources and quizzes to learn about the extraordinary accomplishments of African-Americans, who have made remarkable contributions to our everyday world.

Recommended Books

• Grades 3-5
• Grades 6-8
• Young Adult
• Complete Reading List

Teaching Resources

• The Instructional Media Center's (IMC) Black History Month Resources 
  The IMC has over 800 items to celebrate Black History Month. For more assistance, please contact the IMC at (858) 496-8340 between the hours of 2 pm - 6 pm or visit the IMC website
• Black History Educational Resources (Source: Teachervision.com)
  Provides lesson plans for Pre-K - 12 in assorted subjects, including language arts, science, and math
• Culture and Change: Black History in America (Source: Scholastic Inc.)
  Meet famous African Americans, listen to jazz music, publish your own writing, and explore history with our interactive timeline.
• Encyclopedia Britannica's Guide to Black History
  This site presents a vast array of articles, hundreds of images, and a wide assortment of audio clips, film clips, and multimedia presentations.
• Lessons to Celebrate Black History Month (Source: Education World)
  Offers ten innovative activities (K-12) related to Black History Month celebration -- and to help to incorporate the African American experience into the curriculum all year long!
• Black History Month Lesson Plans (Source: LessonPlansPage.com)
  Provides numerous lesson plans for Black History Month including a 10-day unit on the secrets of the Underground Railroad.
• Black History Month Resources from Reading Rockets
  Recommends books and provides literacy activities related to Black History Month.
• African American World (Source: Public Broadcasting System)
  PBS guide to African American history and culture, including PBS Classroom which includes lesson plans and activities for grades 3-12.
• Celebrating Black History (Source: TIME Magazine)
  Browse TIME magazine's words and LIFE magazine's images documenting the American story that is celebrated every February.
• National Black History Month Booklists (Source: Pearson Education)
  Find a wide range of titles that educate students about African American history.
• The History of Jim Crow
  Takes the viewer on a tour of the struggles of a people to transcend oppression. Lesson plans are available.
• Mighty Times – The Legacy of Rosa Parks (Source: Southern Poverty Law Center)
  A free teaching kit for middle and upper grades that uses first person accounts and stirring dramatizations to bring to life the story of the “mother of the civil rights movement.”
• Integrating with All Deliberate Speed (Source: National Visionary Leadership Project)
  A comprehensive unit for middle and high school students on the Civil Rights Movement, featuring videotaped interviews with legendary leaders.

Contact Information
For help with K-12 School Library Media Programs & Classroom Libraries or IMC Materials and Resources, please contact:
Barbara Baron
bbaron@sandi.net
(619) 725-7334