The Importance of Teaching Black History All Year Long

The importance of teaching Black History all year long is simply understanding that diversity, inclusion and equity needs to be at the forefront of our conversations at home, at school, at church, at work and in our communities all year long. The year 2020 was a turning point to address issues of racism and social injustice. Social change or any change for that matter, doesn’t happen in a day but happens daily!

I am the change that I want to see so I make sure to keep the conversation going with my girls, especially when they open up the conversation or inquire about a particular topic. At dinner time, one of our daughters was sharing with us about the branches of government, her current topic of study in Social Studies. She mentioned that according to the US Constitution, the vice president serves as the president of the Senate and presides over the Senate’s daily proceedings. As one of the Senate’s constitutional officers, only the Vice President has the authority to cast a tie-breaking vote.

Our 9 year old was invested in the conversation and wanted to know more about the current vice-president of the United States who seems to hold a very critical role. I used that opportunity as a teaching moment and reminded her about watching on tv VP Kamala Harris being sworn in with President Joe Biden. I then went on one of our trusted educational sites to search for references about VP Kamala Harris and the resources we found on the website turned into a time of coloring, reading, writing and talking while listening to some Billie Holiday in the background.

Education.com is an online educational site whose mission is to nurture each child’s passion, curiosity, optimism, and educational success. Their digital resources, tools, and learning materials are developed by educational experts to incorporate leading pedagogical practices. They are useful in any type of teaching moment and many can be used to support national education standards.

The importance of teaching Black History all year long is being in the digital age of having plenty of resources available, like books and websites, to help us discover our unique history and celebrate our differences while connecting as a people. I love the fact that Education.com celebrates the diversity of their members by offering differentiated resources that can meet a wide range of educational needs and raise kids’ confidence in learning and seeing themselves. I have been supplementing our daughters’ school curriculum with a membership to Education.com since our oldest was two year old and it’s a joy to see my third daughter enjoy the fun learning resources that comes with it.

When I searched “Black History” on Education.com I was able to select a plethora of learning resources about Kamala Harris and many other history makers. Babygirl enjoyed learning about Kamala Harris, Mary Mcleod Bethune, Mae Jemison, Simone Biles, Rosa Parks, Billie Holiday to mention a few. We have been reading the book Glory: Magical Visions of Black Beauty which is on display in our home as a great reminder to embrace our glory.

The importance of teaching Black History all year long is acknowledging that Black history is American history and teaching it to all is priority. Celebrating history and culture for all is a sure way to connect us and bring us closer. We can start where we are with a willingness to learn about others, using what we have at our disposal through online resources, food, books, experiences and conversations while doing what we can, starting at home. We are the United States of America and together, more than ever, we need to be who we say we are because unity is strength and division is weakness!