The story of Black History Month begins in Chicago during the summer of 1915. An alumnus of the University of Chicago with many friends in the city, Carter G. Woodson traveled from Washington, D.C. to participate in a national celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation sponsored by the state of Illinois. Learn more here.
The Crafting Freedom Website provides educators with a user-friendly resource on the African-American experience during the era of slavery. Here you'll find ready-to-use lesson plans, videos, PDF slide shows, teacher tools, and student handouts that bridge the gap between the expanding scholarship on the 19th-century black experience and the need for this history to be more widely understood. Godly Play Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks - FREE with background materials, an age appropriate storytelling of these saints. Augsburg Fortress also has a one pager (bulletin insert) with info about Rev. Dr. King.
A 2.5 minute video about Dorothy Bolden, a leader for fair wages and better working conditions.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Research & Education Institute-
Building upon the achievements of Stanford University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project, the King Institute supports a broad range of activities illuminating Dr. King's life and the movements he inspired. 
Here’s a free film for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, pulling together evocative moments of archival footage from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.- FREE from the SALT Team
National Geographic Kids - Offers succinct history and photographs to explain Martin Luther King Jr. (National Holiday January 21)
Black Liturgies: Prayer, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human (Penguin Random House), Cole Arthur Riley’s offering, ‘for anyone healing from communities that were more violent than loving; for anyone who has escaped the trauma of white Christian nationalism, religious homophobia, or transphobia; for anyone asking what it means to be human in a world of both beauty and terror’.
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Books:
The Ministry Lab's curated list of resources for Talking with Children about Identity and Diversity. Here you'll find:
*Books and Downloadable resources that are authored by, affirm and celebrate diverse identities *Additional Book Lists from trusted sources *Blogs, Podcasts & Articles to spark conversation *Websites & Curricula to deepen and broaden at-home and at-church learning and growth 
Sometimes We March by Tessa Allen.
Sometimes people march to resist injustice, to stand in solidarity, to inspire hope. Throughout American history, one thing remains true: no matter how or why people march, they are powerful because they march together. 
Before She Was Harriet - by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome. Wonderfully simple retelling of the bravery of Harriet Tubman.
Hammering For Freedom by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and illustrated by John Holyfield. Winner of Lee & Low s New Voices Award and a Junior Library Guild selection, Hammering for Freedom tells the true story of one man s skill, hard work, and resolve to keep his family together.
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by author and illustrator Ashley Bryan. With beautiful pictures and words, based on an actual document of a slaver owner, this book takes us into the lives of each slave and includes what might have been their dreams beyond servitude.
The Other Side - This is an accessible book about the Jim Crow south for young children. The book ends with, " 'Someday somebody's going to come along and knock this old fence down,' Annie said. And I nodded. 'Yeah,' I said. 'Someday.'" Written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrations by E.B. Lewis
The Listeners by Gloria Whelan and illustrated by Mike Benny. Age appropriate for elementary youth this book talks about young slaves listening at their owner's windows. Helps to explain slavery without being too graphic. Good connections around listening.
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So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth's Long Walk Toward Freedom by Gary D. Schmidt and illustrated by Daniel Minter. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery but possessed a mind and a vision that knew no bounds. The books words and pictures are deep and profound, making it well done.
28 Days: Moments in Black History That Changed the World - Easily read short poems, perhaps for a children's sermon each week, enlighten the congregation with info about more than just MLK JR. Written by Charles R. Smith Jr. and illustrated by Shane W. Evans
A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and The Speech that Inspired a Nation
By Barry Wittenstein and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Much has been written about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1963 March on Washington. But there's little on his legendary speech and how he came to write it. 
Vividly expressed in Faith Ringgold’s sumptuous colors and patterns, We Came to America is an ode to every American who came before us, and a tribute to each child who will carry its proud message of diversity into our nation’s future. *A good repetitive and short read for children's sermons! 
The Delany Sisters Reach High - This true story of two sisters growing up in Jim Crow south tells of faith and life intertwined over the course of their one hundred years! Written by Amy Hill Hearth and illustrated by Tim Ladwig
I Affirm Me: The ABCs of Inspiration for Black Kids (Running Press Kids) is, ‘an empowering alphabet book… to inspire and remind Black children of their inner power, strength, and worth.
24 Recommended Books from Huffington Post. |
