{"id":15292,"date":"2022-01-26T21:13:31","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T09:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kamiapp.com\/?p=15292"},"modified":"2024-01-24T08:07:57","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T19:07:57","slug":"teaching-black-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.kamiapp.com\/blog\/teaching-black-history\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Teaching Black History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"15292\" class=\"elementor elementor-15292\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-44804a30 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"44804a30\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6f1b4489\" data-id=\"6f1b4489\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c0324e6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1c0324e6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"et_pb_section et_pb_section_62 et_section_regular\"><div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_257 et_pb_equal_columns\"><div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_288 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\"><div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_317 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blog opening written by Marcus Stein \u2013 former middle\/high school teacher and current Teacher Success Champion at Kami.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I didn\u2019t discover the significance and importance of Black History Month until I became a teacher.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is largely because most of my Black History Month experiences involved me playing the role of Langston Hughes in the community Black History Month program. One year, my school changed it up and assigned me Thurgood Marshall, and all I remembered was the wig and beard. It was simply a yearly ritual- all the outspoken black kids pretty much had to participate in the yearly Black History Month program.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It wasn\u2019t until I became the deliverer of information (a teacher) that I realized exactly why it was important for me and my classmates to study and educate others about significant moments in Black history.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a teacher, my job was to deliver instruction to kids \u2013 using curricular materials\u2026 But those materials\u2014the literature, science books, historical documents, and many other resources\u2014were mostly created and curated by non-African Americans.<\/span><\/p><blockquote><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn fact, in 2016, Black, Latinx, and Native authors combined wrote just 6% of\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">new children\u2019s books published.\u201d &#8211;\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.leeandlow.com\/2017\/03\/30\/the-diversity-gap-in-childrens-book-publishing-2017\/\">LEEANDLOWBOOKS<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, for learners to thoroughly understand the Black American experience, schools host assemblies like an annual Black history program.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once I became a teacher and served on the organization side of the Black history program, I made it a point to explain to my students of all races that the BHM program was NOT just another moment to get out of class. It\u2019s an opportunity to learn that the Black experience was more than slavery and segregation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And with an open mind, a BHM program can:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raise awareness about lesser-known, prominent Black figures<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide Black perspectives about American history<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inspire innovation and creativity in underrepresented students<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And now, rather than dreading the moment I\u2019m asked to play Langston Hughes, I get excited because I know that I have the potential to appreciate and understand the Black experience in America.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_text --><\/p><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_column --><\/p><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_row --><\/p><div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_258 et_pb_equal_columns\"><div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_289 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\"><div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_318 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h5>The Do&#8217;s and Don&#8217;ts<\/h5><p>As vital as these lessons can be, Black History Month deserves so much more than a few documentaries and an art project. Here are a few ways you can up the impact of your lessons, and avoid perpetuating any stereotypes.<\/p><\/div><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_text --><\/p><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_column --><\/p><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_row --><\/p><div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_259 et_pb_equal_columns\"><div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_290 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\"><div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_319 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h5>Do&#8230;<\/h5><p><strong>Include Black history outside of BHM<\/strong><br \/>Use Black History Month to dig deeper into history and make connections with the past.<\/p><p><strong>Your own research<\/strong><br \/>To understand Black history, you need to look past a few textbooks that probably weren\u2019t written by African American authors. Explore a varied range of resources and be open to learning along the way.<\/p><p><strong>Reinforce \u201cBlack\u201d history as American history<\/strong><br \/>Black history is relevant to all students, no matter their background. Make sure this is understood through the lessons you teach. This can be done by connecting issues in the past to those still happening today. Making your subject personal will help get your point across a lot clearer.<\/p><h5>Don\u2019t\u2026<\/h5><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_320 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p><strong>Separate Black history from \u201cnormal\u201d lessons<\/strong><br \/>Pausing your regular curriculum to teach a Black history lesson further marginalizes the subject and reinforces the idea that what you\u2019re teaching isn\u2019t as important as the \u201cnormal\u201d curriculum.<\/p><p><strong>Focus on the superficial<\/strong><br \/>It\u2019s great to celebrate Black music, food, or fashion, but be careful not to fall into highlighting stereotypes rather than the culture or history. Be sure to explore the social and political context behind what we know, that allowed Black culture to establish itself the way it has.<\/p><p><strong>Shy away from the controversial<\/strong><br \/>Avoiding sensitive or unresolved subjects invalidates real-life experiences \u2013 share these stories and racial realities in developmentally appropriate ways.<\/p><p><strong>Think you\u2019re not qualified<\/strong><br \/>You don\u2019t need to be a person of color to discuss race, but you do need to be comfortable and confident before you start. Build your knowledge about each topic and have open communication with educators of color for support and feedback.<\/p><\/div><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_text --><\/p><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_column --><\/p><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_row --><\/p><div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_260 et_pb_equal_columns\"><div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_291 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\"><div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_321 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h5>\u00a0<\/h5><h5>Where to start<\/h5><p>There are plenty of appropriate resources online to get you started, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/teach\/black-history-month-primary-and-secondary-resources\/zjwf8xs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this collection<\/a> from the BBC, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lessonplanet.com\/lesson-plans\/black-history-month\/all?gclid=Cj0KCQiAubmPBhCyARIsAJWNpiNTEPpfI9S1fttgbzNKyhRVV7L4aIs8BTZx0gPuXh0f4VvvRRKhG74aAin7EALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">these<\/a> from Lesson Planet. But always do your own research, ask for feedback from Black peers, and don\u2019t forget to have fun \u2013 your approach and goals for these lessons should be no different from any other, and students should always leave full of insight and wanting more!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_263 et_pb_equal_columns\"><div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_294 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\"><p><!-- .et_pb_text --><\/p><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_column --><\/p><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_row --><\/p><\/div><p><!-- .et_pb_section --><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blog opening written by Marcus Stein \u2013 former middle\/high school teacher and current Teacher Success Champion at Kami.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t discover the significance and importance of Black History Month until I became a teacher. This is largely because most of my Black History Month experiences involved me playing the role of Langston Hughes in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":22445,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[27,28],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Importance of Teaching Black History - Kami<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This Black History month, make sure your students understand the importance of Black History in America \u2013 here&#039;s how to best teach it!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wp.kamiapp.com\/blog\/teaching-black-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Importance of Teaching Black History - 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