How To Teach Black History Across The Curriculum

One of the biggest misconceptions is that Black history should be taught only in its commemorative month of February. The truth of the matter is Black history has roots reaching deeper than American and should be taught throughout the year as well as across the curriculum.

How you can teach Black history across the curriculum

In the beginning, you’ll find traditional topics, people, and events are the most commonly discussed in classrooms and textbooks. We are used to hearing about Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, and civil rights marches. For more recent Black history, we teach children about former President Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and even LeBron James.

Who Is Barack Obama? (Who Was?)LeBron James: The Children’s Book: The Boy Who Became KingMartin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (A Big Words Book, 1)

 

But how many children actually learn about the lives of Black ancestors before coming to America? How many children realize that Black history doesn’t start from slavery and civil rights?

It’s easy to learn from slavery on although different perspectives should be considered. Remember history is written by the victors so in this case, by the extremely white historians.

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019The 1619 Project: A New American Origin StoryThe 1619 Project: Born on the Water

 

History of AfricaWhen The World Was Black: The Untold History of the World’s First Civilizations, Part One: Prehistoric CulturesWhen the World Was Black Part Two: The Untold History of the World’s First Civilizations – Ancient Civilizations1001 Things Everyone Should Know About African American History

 

To learn earlier than slavery history, you have to research African history. Since most slaves came to America from Africa, it just makes sense.

Since my family is really into Hamilton, we also researched and learned about how the slave trade seemed to flow through the Caribbean on it’s way to American shores. It was a defining experience in young Alexander Hamilton’s childhood in St. Croix.

Incorporate Black history into your curriculum year-round

This may sound difficult, but don’t be intimidated. Here are some suggestions to consider:

• For language arts, consider including texts written by Black authors. There are some great poetry, fiction, and nonfiction works that will be perfect additions to your studies. 
• Science is another subject that is fluid in Black influence. From black inventors to farmers, you can find resources that highlight how Blacks understood agricultural sciences and created things that are used by us today.
• African art, areas of geometry, and numerical systems are greatly shown throughout history. Engage your children in games like mancala, which has a strong math component.
• For social studies, you can have your children research Black scholars to interview in their town. Encourage them to ask questions about their experience as a black person in America.

While looking for texts, look for some written by Black scholars such as Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, or Toni Morrison. Studies show that 8 out of every 10 books used to teach children about Black history are written by white scholars which is a perplexing statistic.

When books are written from a Black perspective, they go beyond the stigma that Black people are only great as athletes or famous musicians.

Toni Morrison Box Set: The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, BelovedAmanda Gorman (Volume 75) (Little People, BIG DREAMS)The Hill We Climb : An Inaugural PoemI Know Why the Caged Bird SingsThe Short Stories of Langston HughesPoetry for Young People: Langston Hughes (100th Anniversary Edition)

 

Normalize diversity by intentionally teaching all facets of it.

Once you realize that Black history is a subject that can be studied and highlighted far longer than a month, in addition to their being resources you can use to accurately teach it… it’s time to make the choice to intentionally teach about all facets of it.

Make an effort to become friends with Black families and/or involved in Black communities. Be intentional about learning about their culture from their perspectives, and not simply those read in a book.

Remember that you are there to learn so do more listening and watching than talking.

Of course there is a level of comfortability that must be reached because there are generational things embedded from all nationalities. Our country has done a fine job of putting lines in the sand and creating a sense of fear for crossing it.

However, we are all human beings and deserve a level playing field, especially when it comes to understanding history.

The biggest thing in teaching Black history is to plan for it. Don’t try to simply wing it. Choose a different aspect of Black history to learn about every single month.

This will help show your children that Black history is important enough that you need to continually study it just like all other history.This also helps Black history become something more than a quick discussion and then nothing else until the next February or the next civil rights issue arises.

Children who are taught to truly understand a people group aren’t as surprised by current events that take place. They’re also able to better empathize with various people groups other than their own.

The next time you consider teaching Black history in your homeschool, consider these tips and challenge yourself to take it beyond Black History Month, and instead, turn it into a lifelong lesson.