Black History Month
Black History Month
The story of Martin Luther King Jr, Viola Desmond, and other contributors to the black civil rights experience.
When is Black History Month?
In 2018 – from Thursday February 1,to Wednesday February 28
What is Black History Month?
Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and in the Netherlands (as of 2016) where it is known as Black Achievement Month. It began as a way for remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada in February, as well as in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in October.
More Questions to Consider
What does Black History Month mean to you? How can we celebrate? How can we contribute?
What does Ancestry Project have to offer?
Black History Month is an important education opportunity that comes once a year. Ancestry Project has a number of original resources for teachers and links to outside resources. Check out Caribbean Canadians.

CANADIAN CIVIL RIGHTS HERO
View Viola Desmond resource on Ancestry Project
Viola Desmond, is a civil rights hero who came to her activism accidentally. Her story is inspirational and to honour herCanada is putting her on the $10 bill.

CIVIL RIGHTS AND CARTOONS
View Guess Who’s Coming to Peanuts? on New York Times
Interesting article on racial integration in 1960s America and the role of Franklin from the Peanuts cartoon

MOVE ON UP – EXPLORE THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
View Move On Up…or Not | Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise on PBS Learning Media
In this lesson, students explore how the Civil Rights Movement unleashed a wave of change that followed into the 1970s. Students analyze how housing discrimination, government housing policies, departure from inner cities, and an anemic national economy nevertheless left many African Americans in a state of concentrated poverty.
Carter G. Woodson
Time Magazine has a short profile video on Carter G. Woodson, the man who invented Black History Month (45 seconds).
Links and Resources
Black History Month at Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_History_Month
Explore Media Literacy Through the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
https://ww2.kqed.org/education/2016/01/12/four-resources-for-exploring-media-literacy-through-the-legacy-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr/
CBC: 23 historical black Canadians you should know
http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/black-history-month/
February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the stories, experiences, and accomplishments of Canada’s black community. Here are 23 black Canadians who made major contributions to Canada’s culture and legacy.
Caribbean Canadians
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