Black History Month. Does your child's school do anything if there's not a large AA population?

[Anonymous]

On Facebook there is a day everyday, we don't celebrate then all

Feb 1 was freedom day, Feb 2 was groundhog day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 7th grade DD goes to a private school where the AA population is very small. They don't do anything for Black History Month. The librarian (who is AA) often puts up a display of books written by AA but that's all the school really does. For the last 3-4 years, I've pushed my daughter to do a small presentation for her class (about 5 minutes long) for which teacher usually gives her extra credit, but she's a straight A student so that's no big deal.

This year I was thinking to just let it go. It bothers me that the school doesn't do anything, but I know that's really my fault for me choosing to send her there knowing this could be an issue. I guess I just assumed most schools did something regardless of the school population. I went to a private school as well (not in this area) that was primarily, AA so we celebrated black history all year but had special programs, plays, speakers during the month of February.

So I was just WONDERING what other schools (public or private) do during the month that don't have a large AA population? Again, I'm just asking.

OP, (asking in all honesty and no snark) what is the objective of your post?
You state you are just "WONDERING", but what will you do with the knowledge you gain? Do you plan to transfer your DD? Bring the data to the school to push for the school to do more during the month? If you find out other school without a large AA pop are similar, will it help you "to just let it go"? Do you want to let it go or try to use the data you gather as an impetus for meaningful change in the culture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 7th grade DD goes to a private school where the AA population is very small. They don't do anything for Black History Month. The librarian (who is AA) often puts up a display of books written by AA but that's all the school really does. For the last 3-4 years, I've pushed my daughter to do a small presentation for her class (about 5 minutes long) for which teacher usually gives her extra credit, but she's a straight A student so that's no big deal.

This year I was thinking to just let it go. It bothers me that the school doesn't do anything, but I know that's really my fault for me choosing to send her there knowing this could be an issue. I guess I just assumed most schools did something regardless of the school population. I went to a private school as well (not in this area) that was primarily, AA so we celebrated black history all year but had special programs, plays, speakers during the month of February.

So I was just WONDERING what other schools (public or private) do during the month that don't have a large AA population? Again, I'm just asking.

OP, (asking in all honesty and no snark) what is the objective of your post?
You state you are just "WONDERING", but what will you do with the knowledge you gain? Do you plan to transfer your DD? Bring the data to the school to push for the school to do more during the month? If you find out other school without a large AA pop are similar, will it help you "to just let it go"? Do you want to let it go or try to use the data you gather as an impetus for meaningful change in the culture?

The objective of my post was just as it was stated. I wanted to know if non majority AA schools (public or private) celebrated BHM. EX:"My kid goes to Janney, they do not celebrate BHM". Or "My kid goes to Bullis, and they recognize BHM by doing XYZ". If lots of posters replied that their school didn't do anything, then I would have probably come back and asked "Is it because the school is incorporating Black (AA) history in a significant way already and there is no need?" Or maybe I would have asked does it bother you as a non-AA parent that your child school doesn't? Or ask, "As a non-AA parent, did you even notice that the school didn't do anything?" Because I have been out of school for many years, I really was "just wondering" what schools did these days for BHM. What sparked me posting the question was my very diverse catholic church has a school attached to it. In the church flyer, they had several listings of all of the things the school was doing for BHM and invited parishioners to attend.

I'm not transferring my DD. She really likes the school and wants to stay there. I would love to change the culture of the school and if I had the bandwidth to do so I would definitely try. I work two jobs to send my DD to this school and I just don't have the time. I have reluctantly let it go. But I have decided that my DS (2 year old) will not be attending this school unless the demographics change. This decision is not just based on the non-BHM celebration. I'm just really starting to see (albeit very late) the significance of being the only minority in these grade levels. My DD is an extremely strong, confident, and determined girl, and I think being "the only" has affected her in ways that I did not previously recognize.

[Anonymous]

The goal should be for all American ethnicities to be INcluded in American History. The idea behind Black History month was that AA's were being left out of the history books. If they are included in the history your child is learning, then I would not be concerned that it is not treated separately.

[Anonymous]

OP: JKLM->D parent you were looking for here. Our ES school is about 11% AA, also 10% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 5% mixed race. MS is 31% AA, 13% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 5% mixed race.

In ES, the curriculum is very conscious of and reflects the diversity of the whole student body. In social studies, and really all of the subjects from Pre-K on are inclusive of notable figures and the history and cultures of all races, genders, religions, and world cultures. For example, if a grade is studying biographies of important figures, the diversity of books they are given access to is wide, and the theme carries over into art, music, world cultures, etc. Another example, in science, when they research and study inventors, the teachers make sure that innovators of many cultures are represented, specifically AA and female inventors, and so on. But also, a lot of the curriculum is project-based and involves subject matter choices by the students -- they choose who or what their own specific topic will be within a theme (with appropriate guidance), and so you get a very wide variety of cultural representations in the final products that are then shared with the class. One kid did a biography of a Catholic Saint!

As for history, because it is DCPS, AA History is seamlessly incorporated into the curriculum. They also cover the history of DC, and DC government, and DC neighborhoods (not too much, but just enough). The history of Ft Reno, was a great topic on this as it incorporated geography (highest point in DC), some civil war history, and local history of what happened to the AA community around Ft. Reno after the war.

As for BHM: Presently in ES, among other events, the usual locations around the school building have posters celebrating black history month with a school wide quiz contest asking questions derived for the BHM posters. Every month there is a theme like this, so BHM does not stand out as something unusual.

As for Deal MS: http://alicedeal.org/black-history-month-at-deal/ One highlight is the Speech and Drama Competition on March 3 - students read or perform literature, poems, speeches, and plays from the great collection of Black leaders, writers, diarists, and artists. It is open to all students, though the Speech and Debate Team is award winning (and many of the middle school students compete and win on the high school level), so I would anticipate some stellar performances. A few of Deal's events are open to the public, so I encourage you to attend.

[Anonymous]

I think we should celebrate BLACK HISTORY MONTH by celebrating black CULTURE PERIOD. Black culture is not the "civil rights" movement. Black History did not begin in 1963 with the "I have dream speech" and end in 1968. Sooo many contributions giving to this country by black culture and black individuals that go beyond the Montgomery bus boycott. Even that story doesn't get told in TRUE detail

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the school celebrate women history month or American Indian history month or is it just not celebrating black history month?

I wouldn't be upset if they don't celebrate any other races/months, but would be if they just chose not to celebrate black history month.

None of those other months your sooo worried about would not exist if it weren't for Carter G Woodson push to create "Negro Week" which eventually turned into "Black History Month". Thanks for proving why we need this celebration

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The goal should be for all American ethnicities to be INcluded in American History. The idea behind Black History month was that AA's were being left out of the history books. If they are included in the history your child is learning, then I would not be concerned that it is not treated separately.

Sorry but if those other groups desire to have a month dedicated to them or hear about their people they have a country/nation that they can go back too. Black Americans nor Native Americans have that option. As Native Americans were technically here first and black Americans are the only group to to officially immigrate here. Those two groups history should always be celebrated. No one else should be able to make that claim

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The goal should be for all American ethnicities to be INcluded in American History. The idea behind Black History month was that AA's were being left out of the history books. If they are included in the history your child is learning, then I would not be concerned that it is not treated separately.

Sorry but if those other groups desire to have a month dedicated to them or hear about their people they have a country/nation that they can go back too. Black Americans nor Native Americans have that option. As Native Americans were technically here first and black Americans are the only group to to officially immigrate here. Those two groups history should always be celebrated. No one else should be able to make that claim

Meant Black Americans were the only group "NOT TO" officially immigrate here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd be more concerned about an inclusive curriculum in general as opposed to the "Flavor of the Month" approach. That's what I'd be focused on working toward.

+1.

[Anonymous]

I think many of the people who are really concerned about this issue are not very familiar with modern textbooks, curriculum, educational documentaries, etc. If you are basing your desire for BHM celebrations on what you remember from your own education, you are out-of-date. The teaching of history has entirely morphed into a focus on social history, use of primary documents, and a view of events through the lens of oppression. Please take a look at popular teacher websites: social studies.com, National Center for History in the Schools, Edsitement, etc. My point is that lessons on the AA experience (and oppression of other groups) is woven throughout the teaching of American history. Do they learn all of the AA inventors and scientists? Probably not, but I don't think much time is spent on this for whites either. If they didn't teach about slaves building the railroads of the south, it was because they were busy reading documents about the treatment of the Chinese building the transcontinental railroad. If your school isn't teaching history this way, it is in the minority now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we should celebrate BLACK HISTORY MONTH by celebrating black CULTURE PERIOD. Black culture is not the "civil rights" movement. Black History did not begin in 1963 with the "I have dream speech" and end in 1968. Sooo many contributions giving to this country by black culture and black individuals that go beyond the Montgomery bus boycott. Even that story doesn't get told in TRUE detail

It does. The BHM literature, lessons plans, and posters include musicians, historic figures in politics, writers and poets, scientists, astronauts, dancers, artists, farmers, and civil rights figures, etc.

[Anonymous]

So many racist assholes on DCUM!

[Anonymous]

wow, did not take long for the racism to appear.your poor kids.

[Anonymous]

DS at small private school, mostly white. They do something . Varies from year to year. Langston Hughes has gotten a fair amount of recognition over the years, as have some AA scientists and inventors. There's more, not lots, but more though not all in Feb.