Black History Month
The United States and Canada observe Black History month in February; the United Kingdom observes it in October. While the commemorative month is a good time to celebrate the achievements and culture of the black community, this focus should not be limited to only one month. Students will benefit learning of the accomplishments and struggles of people of color at any time of the year. This reading set includes all grade levels and multiple topics.
Elijah J. McCoy was born in Canada in 1844. His parents had been slaves in Kentucky, but they escaped. The anti-slavery volunteers of the Underground Railroad helped them get to Canada. After the Civil War was over in 1865, the family returned to the U.S. and lived in Michigan. As…
This passage is about Eliza, an enslaved woman owned by the Shelby family. Her husband George is owned by a neighboring family. Eliza and George have one child, a small boy named Harry. Harry is charming, smart, and handsome. Earlier Eliza had overheard a slave trader speaking with her owner…
Granville Tailer Woods was born in 1856. It is thought that his mother may have been Native American and his father was black. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where he went to school until he was ten years old. At that time he went to work to learn how…
By the President of the United States of America: A Proclamation. WHEREAS, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit: “That…
Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in 1856. He dedicated himself to education and started many schools for black students. He founded and was named head of the Tuskegee Institute, a black university in Alabama. Washington was a leader of the African American community until his death in 1915.…
Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in New York around 1797. Her birth name was Isabella Baumfree. She changed it to Sojourner Truth in 1843. She suffered under several owners before she finally escaped to freedom in 1825. She became a widely admired abolitionist and feminist. Below is a passage…
Can you write with your left hand and your right hand? Can you write with your teeth and your toes? Bessie Blount Griffin could do all of these things. She used her education and knowledge to help injured soldiers. She was also a handwriting expert and crime fighter. Bessie Blount…
Jack “Jackie” Roosevelt Robinson was the first African American to play in major league baseball. Through his dedication, resilience, and patience, he paved the way for other African American baseball players to play in the “majors” and helped move America towards racial equality. The United States during the 1920’s was…
Madam C.J. Walker was born on December 23, 1867 near Delta, Louisiana. Her birth name was Sarah Breedlove. Her parents were slaves on the cotton plantation where she was born. Her parents were emancipated, which means freed, in 1863 after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation…
George Washington Carver was born in Missouri between 1861 and 1864. He was born into slavery. It was not until the end of the Civil War in 1865 that George became free. As he grew up, George loved to learn and read. Black children were not allowed to go to…