February 18, 2020

Black History Month: Celebrating Black Literature

This Black History Month, we’re encouraging educators to celebrate the history of Black achievement, joy and creativity. This week, to support that work, we’ll be sharing resources for exploring the rich tradition of African American literature with students in your classroom.

Authors of Their Own Stories // Jey Ehrenhalt

The New YA // Julia Delacroix

Designing Their Own Black Future // Jey Ehrenhalt
Student Text: “Negro Hero” by Gwendolyn Brooks
This poem by Gwendolyn Brooks tells the story of Dorie Miller, a mess attendant in the U.S. Navy. Miller received the Navy Cross for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor when he saved several shipmates. The poem is about the paradoxical experience of an African American soldier who has performed heroic acts serving his country but still suffers the effects of racism in that country. Visit our Student Text Library to view and use this poem in your classroom.

“Wade in the Water” by Tracy K. Smith

Tracy K. Smith’s poem “Wade in the Water” was first published in April 2018 in Smith’s fourth book of poetry. The poem is dedicated to and about the Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters, direct descendants of enslaved people from South Carolina and Georgia who “embrace and preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Geechee legacy through song and dance.”

“On Being Brought From Africa to America”

Phillis Wheatley—known for becoming the first African American woman to publish a book—included this poem in her 1773 book Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Wheatley converted to Christianity upon coming to America, and in this poem, argues that the teachings of her faith promote equality and a path to salvation for all people. This poem can be used to examine Wheatley's religious identity and beliefs, and how that informed the messages in her work.

One World Poster: “I, Too” by Langston Hughes

The quote on this One World poster is the final line of the poem “I, Too” by Langston Hughes (1902–1967), an African American poet, novelist and playwright. The speaker in the poem envisions the end of racial oppression, believing that—one day—he will be recognized as the strong, beautiful person he is. Download and display Hughes’ inspiring words in your classroom.

Check Out What We’re Reading

“Fifty years after the Alexander v. Holmes decision, black students in the Mississippi Delta remain shut out from an equal education.” — The Hechinger Report

“‘I’ve come up here for over a year now and I’m angry. I think a lot of people are angry, too. This is a tidal wave that’s long been coming.’” — MLive

“The empty seats are a reminder to everyone in the class that some of their classmates are missing.” — Immigration Initiative at Harvard
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