Black History Is American History

February Is Black History Month

The Harlem Renaissance. The Civil Rights Movement. Sports heroes. Famous scientists. Jazz musicians. Poets. Singers. Film directors and actors. Activists. The list can go on establishing the rich history of African Americans in our culture. Why is this important?

Devoting a small slice of time to studying the struggles and triumphs of African Americans in our country is necessary to fully grasp the history of the United States.

Resisting oppression. Overcoming adversity.  Rising to freedom.

These are lessons we can learn from experiences of African Americans, and they mirror values held dear and taught to all American children in general. This is really the history of us all and demonstrates what we as a country strive to achieve.

Here are some great books in our SpiderSmart program that students love:

• Historical Fiction such as the Gabriel’s Horses trilogy, Flygirl, To Be a Slave, and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
• Classics including Native Son, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
• Non-Fiction such as Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Audacity of Hope, and Hidden Figures.
• Contemporary Fiction like The Season of Styx Malone, One Crazy Summer, Crossover, From the Desk of Zoe Washington, The Parker Inheritance, Root Magic, and The Stars Beneath Our Feet.

SpiderSmart has many more books for our students of all ages to learn about African American experiences throughout history and how those lessons apply to everyone, equally.