Ever wonder why Black History Month is in February? In 1926, historian and journalist Carter G. Woodson started "Negro History Week" to focus on black history and culture, which was left out of school curricula. Initially celebrated each year during the second week of the second month, the thirst to study black history grew so strong that eventually the holiday expanded to the entire month. Keep reading to learn more facts like these to teach your kids.
Black history is all year long
Do your own research
You want your children to be free thinkers, so that means teaching them how to investigate for themselves. Explain (and model) to your kids how to research this Black History Month. Go to the library to read African-American literature, or ask people of color about their heritage. The internet is a great tool for information, but teach them there are many more resources available. Not only will they gain knowledge, they'll also learn perspective to become well-balanced adults.
History isn't always pretty
As much as you want to shield your kids from ugly truths during Black History Month, you won't do them any favors by keeping information from them. The truth is, our country's history isn't a fairy tale (try finding a country whose history is), but that knowledge is how we've achieved the progress we've made so far. The sooner they know the true events of the past, the better they'll understand the injustices today and be more likely to change the future.
African-American culture is always evolving
Throughout much of American history, there's been an effort to stifle black voices, such as anti-literacy laws passed in the 1800s to outlaw education for slaves. While some cultures have had centuries to collect and curate their culture, segregation for the descendants of slaves only ended 54 years ago. In that time, African-Americans have created a culture that isn't entirely African or American, but somehow both!
What Jim Crow laws were
At one point in American history, Jim Crow laws were set in place to treat black people as "separate by equal" to how white people were treated. In everyday facets of life, like eating in restaurants or using a public bathroom, blacks were shunned from using the same facilities as whites. Most of the time, designated areas for black people were poorly kept. These injustices can't ever be undone, but they can be taught so they're never repeated.
Little paper trail of ancestry
During slavery, little to no official documentation was kept on an individual black person's identity. At that time, African-Americans were treated like animals, with families split apart like puppies from their mother (who, incidentally, was torn from her homeland, as well). Because of this, it's extremely hard for black people today to trace their origins of ancestry back to specific countries and regions the way people from other ethnicities may be able to.
The cultural impact of black leaders
Great black leaders are more than that—they're world leaders. Figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X traveled to many places to be inspired by other people and cultures. In turn, people know their names all over the world and feel the change they set in motion during their lifetimes. During Black History Month, teach your kids that leaders come in different shades, but their ethnicity does not limit their reach.
