How to talk to kids about Black History Month
Every February Americans celebrate Black History Month, which originally started as just a week back in 1926. While some Black history is taught in schools, this is still a great time for parents to start a dialouge with their kids to expand on those teachings.
Be Honest
Kids tend to understand a lot more than what we give them credit for sometimes. Be open and honest about the plight of Black Americans and how they are still affected today to give them a well rounded understanding.
Heros
Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks are great starters and there are a lot of resources for kids on them but also try to show them some of the lesser known Black heros. Did you know that Shirley Chisholm was the first African-American female elected to Congress? Or the George Washington Carver was a scientist and an inventor who found hundreds of uses for peanuts? National Geographic has a great selection of African American Hero stories.
Books
There are so many books out there to get the conversation started on Black history! Here are a couple of my favorites:
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
2. The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez
Museums
The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. is the country's largest and most comprehensive museum for Black History! Let me tell you, it's amazing!! Even if you can't make it to D.C. most major cities have an African American museum that you and your family can visit!
Videos
There are tons of resources out there for little ones to learn more about Black history! If an education video is more your speed, I would recommend this PBS walk through and this ABC's of Black History video.