Black History Month Resources

The month of February honors the important role Black people play in the story of our country. Across the United States, schools and communities organize to learn more about Black History and Culture. Grades: K-5

These KET videos provide examples of West African and African-American music, dance, and storytelling. Grades K-13+

Explore a Florida story of unity in 1964 segregated Orlando, when one white high school marching band and one black high school marching band were invited to perform at the World's Fair in New York City. Grades: 6-12

Explore the history and questions surrounding the May 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Grades: 9-12

These lesson plans encourage students to explore the contributions to society made by prominent Americans from all walks of life. Each lesson plan includes a short video, as well as a written primary sources activity, a visual primary source activity, and a culminating activity. Grades 3-7, 13+

George Washington Carver was a complex Renaissance man. He was a scientist, teacher, humanitarian, environmentalist and an artist. He was a spiritual man, and a man of quiet perseverance. Born enslaved, Carver defied the odds.
Grades: 3-12

With the airing of Forgotten Genius, the definitive account of the life of African-American chemist Percy Julian to date, it seems like an opportune moment to ask to what degree the racism Julian endured still holds sway in the scientific world, 32 years after his death. To what extent does the color of one's skin affect one's advancement -- or lack thereof -- in the sciences? And do we still need Percy Julian's example, marked by singular resolve, self-confidence, and ingenuity, to inspire young African-Americans to sidestep or squeeze through such barriers? Grades 9-12

This two-part, four-hour film, tells the story of an American icon whose life-long battle for first class citizenship for all African Americans transcended even his remarkable athletic achievements. Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s color line in the 1940s. Grades 6-12

Explore the life of one of the most indelible figures of the 20th century, a three-time heavyweight boxing champion who captivated and inspired the world but insisted on being himself unconditionally.
Grades 6-12

Self-paced interactive lesson - Grades: 10-12

Learn how the pain of slavery is actualized in Toni Morrison's Beloved. Find out about Margaret Garner and the historical background of the book. Then, hear the ways in which the beautiful writing of the novel, along with the horrifying scenes of the plot, create strong emotions in readers.
Grades: 9-12

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

Report from PBS NewsHour
Grades: 3-12

Report from PBS NewsHour
Grades: 3-12

Noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. recounts the full trajectory of African-American history in his groundbreaking series The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. Grades 6-13+

Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s documentary series, Reconstruction: America After the Civil War, explores the transformative years following the American Civil War, when the nation struggled to rebuild itself in the face of profound loss, massive destruction, and revolutionary social change. Grades 7-12

Learn about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and how the community is coming to terms with its past, present, and future.
Grades: 6-12

The landmark four-part series The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow explores segregation from the end of the Civil War to the dawn of the modern civil rights movement. Grades 6-13+

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, the award-winning PBS series from WGBH Boston, brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that have shaped America's past and present. Grades 6-13+

While students today may think of the Civil Rights Movement as part of the distant past, it’s clear that many of the problems that fueled that fight are still with us. This collection of videos, documents, and primary sources lends context to the events and leaders that defined the Civil Rights Movement’s first three decades (1954-1985). Grades 3-13+

Learn about the Freedom Riders, a courageous band of African American and white civil rights activists who in 1961 rode together on buses throughout the American South to challenge segregation. Grades 6-12

The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom has been commemorated by teachers and students across the country and around the world. Help your students appreciate the significance of this event — and its role in the larger Civil Rights Movement. Grades 3-13+

THE MARCH @ 50 is a web series by filmmaker Shukree Tilghman that takes a contemporary look at the legacy of the March on Washington, one of the most important social demonstrations of the 20th century, and the delivery of its promises. Premiered August 26, 2013. Grades 6-12

Students can explore news stories, interviews, and commentaries by and about African Americans with these resources from BASIC BLACK. BASIC BLACK was created in 1968 during the turmoil of the Civil Rights Movement as a response to the demand for public television programs to reflect the concerns of African Americans. Grades 6-12

These video clips feature interviews with some of the most legendary African Americans in Alabama's history. Grades 7-12

The history of African Americans in Georgia dates back to the earliest days of slavery in the colony. From the Antebellum era to the end of the Civil War slaves toiled on farms and plantations across Georgia. After freedom from slavery, African Americans waited nearly one hundred years for the promises of the 14th and 15th amendments to be kept. Along their journey, their cultural and economic successes and challenges became a part of their history. Grades 5-13+

Discover the rich culture of Kentucky through the stories of people, places, and events in this Kentucky Studies collection. The Kentucky Studies collection features Kentuckians who made their mark on history not only in Kentucky but the world. Learn about the places and events that made Kentucky what it is today. Grades 6-12

Mission US adventures feature Interactive self-paced lessons that make learning history fun! Grades: 6-8

Self-paced interactive lesson - Grades: 9-12

Self-paced interactive lesson - Grades: 5-8

Virtual field trip - Grades 5-12

Virtual field trip - Grades 5-12

Virtual field trip - Grades 7-12

earn how Black women continue to lead the fight for suffrage rights, 100 years after the passage of the 19th Amendment and 55 years after the Voting Rights Act, in this digital video from American Experience | The Vote. Grades: 7-12

Actor S. Epatha Merkerson learns about her enslaved African American ancestors, who were sold by Jesuit priests in 1838 in order to save Georgetown University. Grades: 6-12

In this video from Finding Your Roots, host Henry Louis Gates Jr. reveals the ancestry of White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. Jarrett learns she is descended from one of the first African American legislators in the country and that she comes from a line of free people of color dating back to the 1700s. Grades: 9-12

Explore images highlighting the lives of African-Americans during the Civil War. By 1861, the pressure between the Northern and Southern states exploded into a Civil War. Southern leaders, claiming states’ rights, were threatened by the anti-slavery stance of many Northern states and the newly elected President Abraham Lincoln. Dred Scott had attempted to sue the United States for his freedom, and lost. The great orator and writer Frederick Douglass, a former slave living in the North, became a leader in social reform and the abolitionist movement. African Americans would fight in Northern regiments. The term “contraband” was used to describe those individuals who had escaped slavery in the south to the north. Grades: 9-12

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students.

African Americans were active participants in the Civil War. Many contributed to the war effort raising funds, supplying goods and providing labor. Freemen went to conquered confederate territories to work in hospitals, set up businesses and assist contrabands. Frederick Douglass and other activists led abolitionist movements influencing Congress and President Lincoln. For more resources from Mercy Street, check out the collection page. Grades: 7-12

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

In this video from INDEPENDENT LENS: "Birth of a Movement" students learn about several milestones in African American history that took place during the year 1895, including the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy vs. Ferguson, the death of Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington’s “Atlanta Compromise” speech, and W.E.B. DuBois’ graduation from Harvard University. The video also introduces students to the Niagara Movement and its offshoot, the NAACP. Grades 9-12

Discover the challenges African Americans experienced during World War I as they tried to reconcile the ideals of “making the world safe for democracy” with the harsh realities they encountered at home, in this video adapted from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: The Great War. Faced with prejudice and racist Jim Crow laws in the United States, many African Americans questioned their role as soldiers in a war that promised to save “democracy” around the world. In addition, the newly instituted draft led to increased racial tension and deadly violence. Grades: 9-12

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

During World War II, African Americans found themselves with conflicting feelings about supporting the war effort, since their own country did not offer them the freedom America was fighting for overseas. The Double Victory — Double V— campaign, begun by the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper in 1942, helped to address this issue. It encouraged African Americans to participate at every level in winning the war abroad, while also fighting for their civil rights at home.

During World War II, African Americans found themselves with conflicting feelings about supporting the war effort, since their own country did not offer them the freedom America was fighting for overseas. In the activities contained within this gallery, students will examine the role African Americans played in the war effort abroad as well as experiences at home. Grades: 7-12

Discover the momentous events that defined the African American experience in Las Vegas throughout the Civil Rights era. These events altered the city’s history and changed thousands of lives. Our story introduces individuals who are connected to these events, and to each other. Grades: 5-12

Discover how cornet player and bandleader P. G. Lowery helped bring the music of black musicians into mainstream popular culture in the early 20th century, in this digital video from The Circus: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. Lowery, who grew up in a musical family, trained at the prestigious Boston Conservatory of Music. At a time when American society limited opportunities for blacks, the traveling circus provided Lowery and other black musicians with better treatment and guaranteed pay. Grades: 7-12

Seven directors explore the blues through their own personal styles and perspectives. The films in the series are motivated by a central theme: how the blues evolved from parochial folk tunes to a universal language. Grades: 6-13+

Seven directors explore the blues through their own personal styles and perspectives. The films in the series are motivated by a central theme: how the blues evolved from parochial folk tunes to a universal language. Grades: 6-13+

Understanding the history of African Americans is crucial to understanding the history of America. The experiences of African Americans have shaped many aspects of the United States. These lesson plans are based on History Detectives episodes that examine artifacts from three distinct eras in American history: the Civil War, World War I, and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Grades: 4-12

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

Students examine period images and news footage in order to learn about the use of sit-ins and nonviolence in the Civil Rights Movement and analyze the effectiveness of strategies of the Civil Rights Movement. Grades: 6-13+

Students learn about two African-American World War I heroes and analyze period propaganda posters to understand how racial relations were shifting during World War I. Grades: 6-13+

Understanding the history of African Americans is crucial to understanding the history of America. Grades: 6-13+

The National Archives - This document consists of a facsimile of General Order No. 143, issued by the War Department on May 22, 1863. This order created the United States Colored Troops, and reversed a prior ban on the recruitment of black troops to fight in the Civil War.

The National Archives - This is a facsimile of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed by Congress June 13, 1866, and ratified July 9, 1868. The 14th amendment extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to former slaves.

The National Archives - This resource group contains two facsimiles and a transcript of, and a background essay on the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This Act outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, enforcing the Fifteenth Amendment 95 years after its passing.

PBS NewsHour Daily Lessons
One group is taking a literal deep dive to learn more about the history of enslaved Africans who were forcibly transported to the Americas across the Atlantic ocean on a voyage known as the “Middle Passage.”