Black History Month Tools and Resources to Celebrate and Educate at Home
February is Black History Month! Black History Month dates back to 1926, when African American historian Carter G. Woodson declared a week to highlight the successes of Black Americans. This specific period was based around two important February birthdays, those of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, two major players in the antislavery movement. In 1976, the week was transformed into Black Heritage Month in the United States.
This celebration has expanded to various countries across the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom. Thanks to the Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, Canada officially recognized February as Black History Month in 1995.
Did you know? Each year, the Government of Canada honours Black History Month with a different theme. This year’s theme is “February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day,” which focuses on recognizing the daily contributions that Black Canadians make to Canada.
No matter where you live, we invite all citizens to learn more about these communities, and how they continue to help shape the story of Canada.
Tool and Resources for You
To create a more inclusive, empathetic and equitable world it must start with you. As adults in our community, we have a responsibility to lead by example and educate ourselves and our youngest citizens about Black history. We’ve rounded up a variety of resources that will support you in this journey.
Tools and Resources for your Little Ones
Books are always an amazing resource that we can utilize when teaching our wee ones about the world around them. With that said, we want to share some of our favourite books that you can read your children this month! These books support and champion Black people and their accomplishments. Your little ones will feel inquisitive and inspired, all at the same time.
This book is described as “the picture book that everyone needs”. It’s gorgeous and lyrical, emphasizing that you should love who you are and respect others. The slogan for the book is: We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it. What’s better than that?!
Described as contagiously upbeat, joyful and positive, M is for Melanin is a refreshed alphabet book that teaches children great values, vocabulary, love and respect. It teaches children their ABCs while encouraging them to love the skin that they’re in.
This is a friendly and fun approach to biography, illustrating to children that anyone can be a hero. The story of Rosa Parks is told in a way that is conversational and easy to conceptualize, making it perfect for your little ones. Ultimately, I Am Rosa Parks inspires children to strive and to dream.
As they grow up, you want your kids to learn how to speak out and use their voice, especially when it comes to important discussions like human rights. This book exposes wee ones to influential activists throughout history, including Cesar Chavez, Gloria Steinem, Frederick Douglass (the man who inspired Black History Month) and Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a great book that covers all the bases - great illustrations, history and messages.
Here are additional resources to celebrate and educate your children about Black History Month at Home!
How parents should talk to their children about anti-black racism
Don’t teach your kids to be “colourblind” Part 2: Celebrate Diversity
Finally, CBC Kids has a webpage dedicated to this special time - if you’d like to share it with your kids, it’s a great resource that’s specific to Canada. Please let us know if you end up sharing one of these books with your family - we’d love to hear! How else are you celebrating Black History Month? To keep up-to-date on how we’re honouring Black History Month in our centres, follow our Facebook or Instagram.