Black History Month is celebrating its centennial, but the occasion has taken on a sense of urgency and defiance in the face of anti-DEI attacks. Despite the Trump administration's attempts to dismantle Black history at national parks and claim that African American studies are meant to indoctrinate people into hating America, educators, activists, and civil rights organizations are using the milestone as a chance to engage young people with a fuller narrative of America's story.
The backlash against teaching Black history has been building for years, but the current climate has intensified it. Many states and cities are nervous about retribution from the White House, which is part of why some are quietly pulling back or becoming more cautious in their efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, others see this as an opportunity to educate people on a broader range of topics.
One such initiative is a campaign led by Campaign Zero and Afro Charities to create a comprehensive Black History Month curriculum for teachers across the country. The goal is to provide young people with a more intentional and thoughtful education about their history and its relevance to contemporary issues.
A graphic novel about Opal Lee, "grandmother of Juneteenth," has just been released, which explores her story and sheds light on lesser-known historical figures like William "Gooseneck Bill" McDonald, who was the first Black millionaire in Texas. The book aims to inspire young people to become historians who can discern fact from fiction.
Meanwhile, a new book by Harvard professor Jarvis Givens examines the 100-year journey of Black History Month and clarifies misconceptions around it. The result is "I'll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month," which comes out Tuesday.
Givens's work ties into a living history campaign with Campaign Zero and Afro Charities, aiming to teach young students how to record and preserve the stories of their ancestors.
In an interview about Carter G. Woodson, the "father of Black history" who pioneered Negro History Week in 1926, Robert Trent Vinson, director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia, said that Woodson would likely see today's backlash as a sign that people are on the right track to sharing their knowledge strategically.
Despite the challenges and resistance to teaching Black history, Mckesson believes that informal networks of Black people who have resisted such attempts in the past will ultimately prevail. "We will go back to normalcy," he said, "but I think about the informal networks of Black people who have always resisted these backlashes before, and I think that is happening today."
The backlash against teaching Black history has been building for years, but the current climate has intensified it. Many states and cities are nervous about retribution from the White House, which is part of why some are quietly pulling back or becoming more cautious in their efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, others see this as an opportunity to educate people on a broader range of topics.
One such initiative is a campaign led by Campaign Zero and Afro Charities to create a comprehensive Black History Month curriculum for teachers across the country. The goal is to provide young people with a more intentional and thoughtful education about their history and its relevance to contemporary issues.
A graphic novel about Opal Lee, "grandmother of Juneteenth," has just been released, which explores her story and sheds light on lesser-known historical figures like William "Gooseneck Bill" McDonald, who was the first Black millionaire in Texas. The book aims to inspire young people to become historians who can discern fact from fiction.
Meanwhile, a new book by Harvard professor Jarvis Givens examines the 100-year journey of Black History Month and clarifies misconceptions around it. The result is "I'll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month," which comes out Tuesday.
Givens's work ties into a living history campaign with Campaign Zero and Afro Charities, aiming to teach young students how to record and preserve the stories of their ancestors.
In an interview about Carter G. Woodson, the "father of Black history" who pioneered Negro History Week in 1926, Robert Trent Vinson, director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia, said that Woodson would likely see today's backlash as a sign that people are on the right track to sharing their knowledge strategically.
Despite the challenges and resistance to teaching Black history, Mckesson believes that informal networks of Black people who have resisted such attempts in the past will ultimately prevail. "We will go back to normalcy," he said, "but I think about the informal networks of Black people who have always resisted these backlashes before, and I think that is happening today."
The way some states are pulling back on diversity initiatives is super worrying 
. It feels like they're trying to erase all the progress we've made on promoting inclusivity and equality. 
On the other hand, people like Mckesson who believe in these informal networks of Black people resisting backlash for years is giving me hope 
. 
. We need more resources and support to educate young people about their history, especially when there's so much misinformation out there 
.
. More people need to know the story behind it and its significance in American history 
.
. some ppl are still hating on teaching black history and it's only getting more intense because of all the whack ideas comin from the trump admin 
meanwhile, i'm low-key impressed by campaign zero and afro charities creatin a comprehensive curriculum for teachers 
!
i just saw that Black History Month is celebrating its centennial and its like totally making me feel so emotional 
i mean we need to be teaching our kids about the history of black ppl in america but at the same time there are people trying to erase it 
its like what even is going on rn?!? 
and it feels so good 
i wanna be a part of that too 
and i am LIVING 
for it!!! we need more stories like that being told 
I think that's a valid point - and I totally agree with Mckesson that informal networks of Black people will always find ways to resist and persevere.
. I know it won't be easy, but if we can keep our stories alive and share them with the world, I think we'll be just fine 
it's like, we need to make sure our youngins are learning about the real america, not just the watered-down version they're trying to feed us 
. i mean, who needs propaganda when you can have the truth? 
and yeah, those anti-dei attacks are giving me LIFE 
. it's like, can't wait to see that graphic novel! 
and that living history campaign with campaign zero is like, the ultimate way to preserve our ancestors' stories 
about those informal networks of black people resisting backlashes. i'm low-key nervous but also super hopeful 
. I think it's wonderful that there are these informal networks of Black people who have resisted backlashes in the past - we need more of those kinds of stories and voices being amplified 
USA
Carter G. Woodson creates Negro History Week
Civil Rights Movement gains momentum
Increased emphasis on diversity and inclusion
Anti-DEI attacks rise, Black History Month feels urgent
The power of informal networks? Maybe they're already winning?
. It's also refreshing to see initiatives like the comprehensive Black History Month curriculum and living history campaign that aim to preserve our stories 
. Let's keep pushing forward with love, knowledge, and unity 
It feels like we're right back where we started, but this time with a more aggressive push from the White House 
My grandma used to tell me these crazy family tales that I would never have known if she hadn't shared them with me 
. We need more of those kinds of initiatives, especially for young people who are still learning about their heritage 
I mean, think about it, they're tying everything together with these living history campaigns and graphic novels... it's like they want to control what people learn. And don't even get me started on this Harvard professor, Jarvis Givens - what's his angle here? 
I'm not buying the whole " educating young people" vibe. There's gotta be more to it than that.