Lesson Overview
Featured Series: “Black History, Continued”
“Black History, Continued” is a series from The New York Times that explores pivotal moments and transformative figures in Black culture, from Black gardeners who found refuge in the soil to an overlooked Harlem Renaissance sculptor. “We believe the story part of Black History is vital because, like elements in a periodic table, each story is a building block of possibility,” Veronica Chambers, the Narrative Projects editor, writes.
In this lesson, you will explore the “Black History, Continued” series and reflect on the importance of celebrating overlooked or underappreciated aspects of the American experience. We also invite you to make personal connections with what you have read, pitch new ideas to the series creators and share what you have learned with others.
I. Start Here: How Have You Learned About Black History?
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Credit...Jamiel Law
Part 1: Share your thoughts and experiences.
What have you been taught about Black history in school? Do you feel that it is a subject that has been taught accurately and thoroughly?
How well do you think teachers, museums or textbooks have taught you Black history? Give them a grade on a scale from A (excellent) to F (very poor). Then, explain why you gave them that grade.
How have you learned about Black history outside school — from your family or your community, or through your own exploration and curiosity?
What topics, themes, traditions and stories related to Black history are missing, overlooked or underappreciated? What topics would you like to explore in more depth, either in school or on your own? Why? (You will return to these ideas later in this lesson plan.)
Part 2: Learn about the history of Black History Month.
In “How Negro History Week Became Black History Month and Why It Matters Now,” Veronica Chambers and Jamiel Law tell the story of how Black History Month came to be:
Black History Month has been celebrated in the United States for close to 100 years. But what is it, exactly, and how did it begin?
In the years after Reconstruction, campaigning for the importance of Black history and doing the scholarly work of creating the canon was a cornerstone of civil rights work for leaders like Carter G. Woodson. Martha Jones, a professor of history at Johns Hopkins University and the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, explained: “These are men [like Woodson] who were trained formally and credentialed in the ways that all intellectuals and thought leaders of the early 20th century were trained at Harvard and places like that. But in order to make the argument, in order to make the claim about Black genius, about Black excellence, you have to build the space in which to do that. There is no room.” This is how they built the room.
Read the article in its entirety and then respond to the following prompts in writing or with a partner:
What did you learn about the origins and meaning of Black History Month? What was most surprising and memorable?
Black History Month is not just about ensuring the study of Black history; it is also intended to be a celebration of the achievements and accomplishments of Black Americans. Do you feel that the month has helped accomplish that goal?
An argument that some people make about history months in general, whether celebrating Black people, women or Native Americans, is that they confine the history of a historically marginalized group to a single month, when instead these histories should be fully integrated into education all year long. What do you think? Do history months succeed in promoting a complex and important history that otherwise has been neglected? Or are they ever counterproductive? Why?
Share your thoughts on parts one and two of this section by joining a conversation with other teenagers in the comments section of our related Student Opinion question.
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II. Explore a Lesson of the Day
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Shelton Johnson in front of El Capitan rock face in Yosemite National Park.
Shelton Johnson in front of El Capitan rock face in Yosemite National Park. Credit...Chanell Stone for The New York Times
The Learning Network has created lesson plans for five of the articles in the “Black History, Continued” series, each with a warm-up, critical-thinking questions and going-further activities. The activities and questions are designed to help you understand the article, contextualize it within current and historical events and connect it to your own life.
Choose one of the five articles below and the lesson that accompanies it and follow along with the prompts and questions included. Afterward, you might share what you learned with the class as a jigsaw activity.
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