Beyond Black History Month—Celebrating All Year Long
FEB 2ND, 2022
February is Black History Month. Every year we set aside time in February to reflect on the contributions Black Americans have made to this country and the incredible difficulties Black Americans have faced. But we don’t need to limit learning about Black history to February. Here are a few easy ways to share Black history and achievements with your children on a regular basis.
1) Read books by Black authors and illustrators
Libraries can make it easy to diversify the books you’re reading to your children. The next time you’re at the library, look for a section in the children’s area devoted to Black authors and illustrators. Make a habit of grabbing a couple of books from this section every time you visit the library. If your library doesn’t have a section like this, try asking a librarian to create one. Librarians are often open to suggestions from families.
Another option is to take a look at a list of book recommendations online, then buy the books or request them from the library. Here are a couple of lists to get you started:
This site includes several lists, grouped by theme.
2) Follow your child’s interests
We love this idea from Kids Academy. They suggest that you learn about Black Americans from history that align with your child’s interests. For example, if your daughter loves tennis, learn about Althea Gibson—the first African American woman to win a Grand Slam tournament. If she loves dance, study Katherine Dunham, the dancer/choreographer and anthropological dance pioneer.
3) Celebrate Black artists
Listen to music by Black musicians throughout history or visit a local art museum and ask about work by Black artists and related programming.
We hope one of these ideas works for your family.