I know – scary title, right? This post is not about judgment or condemnation. Rather, it’s a call-in from someone else on the journey of Anti-Bias education (it me!). It’s an invitation to learn from mistakes and to do better going forward. When we know better, we do better, right? Let’s thoughtfully examine these all-too-common mistakes white teachers make while teaching Black History Month with a commitment to improving our practice.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Maya Angelou. Nov. 16, 2015
You’ll notice that most of these errors can be remedied with a) engaging in your own learning and b) adjusting your classroom to focus on diversity and social justice year-round. If you’re feeling alone in this, you’re not! Join in at Lit By Learning’s Instagram page and enjoy learning alongside many other like-minded educators!
Teaching Black History Month Error #1: Skipping over our own (un)learning
This is a big one to start, but it’s foundational if we’re serious about knowing better and doing better. Responsible teaching of Black History Month – or any other heritage month, for that matter, begins with us: the teacher. This can look a variety of ways, but I will center on only two: deepening our understanding of our own identity & culture development and unlearning white-centered versions of history.
Part A: Not recognizing our own culture & cultural lens
EVERYONE has a culture. No one is “normal,” or “regular” – they are just in the majority. Growing up in rural Minnesota, I unknowingly exoticized folks with different skin tones, unfamiliar foods, and who spoke anything other than English. In my mind, I was normal – boring, even – and they were rare, different, and exciting. Are we seeing where this is going? I was unintentionally dehumanizing others by placing myself at the center – as the norm. This, in turn, didn’t serve me in experiences where I felt culture-less and bland. White teachers, we need to realize that we are just as steeped in culture as anyone else. The more that we are able to name and recognize our own cultural beliefs, values & traditions, the more prepared we are to learn and then teach about others’.
Part B: Forgetting to unlearn white-centered versions of history
“History is written by the victors.” An excellent teacher needs to really critically examine the multifaceted truth of history before trying to teach about it. Even (especially?) if you teach primary grades, it is simply not enough to “go on” what you remember from High School history or to “touch on” history alongside cute projects. We need to become critical consumers of the content we communicate – that means we need to feel confident about the story we are telling. We need to do our own research with an emphasis on centering Black voices. My book list is miles long, but here are some of the adult-facing texts I’ve found most transformational in preparing to teach Black History Month:
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
When will you be “unlearned enough?” I’m betting on never. That doesn’t mean you need to stop teaching Black History Month until you have it All Figured Out.
Moving Forward: Stay actively engaged in your own learning & unlearning.
Teaching Black History Month Error #2: Centering Black authors and characters ONLY while teaching Black History Month
If you have to dust off your bin of books centering Black characters or dig in your closet to find your “diverse” books… this is for you (us). Story time: I used to teach at a school with a 99% Latinx population. I taught in a bilingual classroom and was honestly just trying to keep my head above water. I, honorably I thought, wanted to customize my curriculum to be a mirror to my students’ culture. My library was flooded with books featuring Latino characters and tales of immigration, bilingualism, and culture shock. Where’s the problem?
I forgot about the windows part of the literature! I was centering tons of “mirroring” texts, but not nearly enough texts that would expose my young learners to diverse groups. I waited until Black History Month to feature Black characters and books written by African American authors. This didn’t serve my students.
As I’ve grown, I am more intentional about including diverse characters and authors throughout the year. We read books featuring Asian American characters to learn about big concepts like community and teamwork, not just to compare cultures. We read books with disabled characters to talk about friendship, not centering disability. We dive into Garrett Morgan’s fascinating invention as part of our Light & Sound unit long before February. Basically, I seek to normalize and celebrate diversity year-round.
Moving Forward: Integrate diversity and social justice year-round.
Teaching Black History Month Error #3: Centering on Trauma
There’s a meme going around right now that hits the nail on the head. It says something like “the story of US Slavery is NOT Black History – it’s white history.” Let that one sit for a second. The story – the history – of Black Americans extends much beyond the oppression and trauma that was enacted upon them. To center on trauma only is to re-traumatize. Don’t get me wrong here: all students need to know the real history of America. They need to know it was founded on land thievery, genocide, slavery, and prolonged systemic oppression. AND they need to know that the story never – still hasn’t – stopped there.
One way to do this is to ensure that you’re integrating American history and social justice concepts long before February. This way, students will have a schema for why there is a Black History Month (vs. a white history month) when February pops up on the calendar. Then, they can spend the month as it’s intended: a CELEBRATION of Black brilliance, ingenuity and community.
Moving forward: Actively seek out stories featuring Black Joy.
This is the beauty of Black History Month. It’s so much more than just educating and making others aware of all the things Black people have done and are doing. It’s about honoring those who came before us and celebrating who we are.
Morgan Harper Nichols “What Sharing a Birthday with Rosa Parks Taught Me About Celebrating Being Black“
Teaching Black History Moth Error #4: Ignoring Intersectionality
I talked about intersectionality in my post about Hispanic Heritage Month, but it definitely deserves its own mention here. ALL Black Americans deserve to be celebrated this month (and all year). This includes Afro-Latinx folks, LGBTQ African Americans, disabled African Americans – the list goes on. Despite what we may have learned, there is no single story of THE Black American. Rather, it is a diverse and beautiful – read: human – mix of all types of lives and beliefs. Forgetting intersectionality is leaving out a whole swath of individuals and… that’s kind of against the point of heritage months.
Moving forward: Continually ask yourself “What voices aren’t being heard?” – and then actively seek those voices out. They’re there!
Teaching Black History Month Error #5: Centering wh*te supremacy culture (still!)
Ok, crew, we made it to #5. Thanks for sticking with me as we learn how to know better and do better, together. Here’s the deal: we can do all of the former “moving forward” steps, but if we don’t see the racist sea we’re swimming in, it’s a bit all for naught. Said more plainly: If we insist on teaching Black History Month our way, the way that education’s “always been done” — we’ve missed the point. As white educators seeking to deepen our practice, we also need to question the norms and values around us. The graphic below outlines the well-documented features of wh*te Supremacist Culture (aka American Culture). As you review them, ask, “Where do I see these in my classroom? In myself?“
No, I’m not trying to take us completely off the rails here. Part of teaching Black History Month well is recognizing why it’s necessary to have a month at all. I’m not saying the cause is you or me directly – I’m saying that the cause is Wh*te Supremacy Culture – the lie that’s been foundational since day one of our country. You’re likely on board – who wants to be associated with Wh*te Supremacy?! – but further probing asks us question why these features are still as prevalent as they are. See my ponderings below:
Moving forward: Decenter wh*te supremacy culture. Everywhere.
In Review: How to move forward when teaching Black History Month
Remember: You’re not alone! As you journey to make your classroom more student-centered and culturally responsive, you have a whole crew cheering you on! Come engage with our community and let’s learn together!
