Why is it that teaching Black history in middle school only happens once a year? From beloved Maya Angelou, to Frederick Douglass, to bell hooks, there are so many Black readers, writers, and creative powerhouses in history that our students need to know about… and not just once a year. All year long!

Studying Black Authors and Speakers

Throughout the school year, ELA students learn about and study the attributes of every genre imaginable. Literary Fiction, Argumentative writing, Poetry, Drama, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction… you name it, they read it. But as ELA teachers, we should be actively introducing our students to Black authors, speakers, and musicians throughout the school year to increase exposure and knowledge of how Black history has shaped our present realities.

Furthermore, it is our job as educators to model what profound and impactful writing and speaking looks like, sounds like, and feels like. There is nothing like witnessing middle school ELA students learn about the literary impact of Zora Neale Hurston during the Harlem Renaissance. Or learning what love is through Langston Hughes’s “Mother to Son.” Or watching as students see themselves in Amanda Gorman as she recites her now famous “The Hill We Climb” as the youngest United States Inaugural Poet.

As students study these genres from August all the way to May, they can simultaneously learn about the Black writers, speakers, and musicians who greatly contributed to the very genres they’re studying. That is how you make Black History more than a month, but a movement that encompasses your entire school year.

You Aren’t The Only Model

I know what you’re thinking… “That’s great, and I would totally love to do that, but how?”

Every great ELA teacher knows that you must model what good reading and writing looks like. But who said you, as the teacher, are the only model? Sometimes it’s okay to step aside and let the greats help you. Imagine Frederick Douglass teaching your ELA students how to write an argumentative essay. Imagine Maya Angelou teaching your ELA students the power of figurative language through the metaphor of a caged bird singing. Imagine Marian Anderson teaching your ELA students how to bravely take a stand and use their voices. You don’t always have to be your students model. They can take inspiration from and model their own reading, writing, and speaking after the hundreds of Black historical figures that have come before them.

Steps to Incorporating Black History in Middle School All Year Long

1.  Research: You guessed it! It all starts with a little research. As you begin your genre study, have students research Black authors, speakers, or musicians that have contributed to that genre. Allow them to learn about these historical figures, read their works, and listen to the creations. This will not only help them to gain knowledge of Black history, but also solidify and add to their knowledge of whatever genre they are studying.
2. Reflect: After researching their Black historical figure, have students reflect on what they read and what they loved from the works they discovered. What did they connect with the most from their research and reading? Remember ELA is all about how different texts look, sound, and feel. Finding their “what” in the research leads right into the next step…
3. Model: Students shouldn’t just be reading several different genres throughout the school year. They should be writing in those genres too! After researching and reading the works of several Black authors and creators, students can then model their writing after those they researched. They can find their own writing style as they explore writing poetry like Amanda Gorman, or speaking like Martin Luther King Jr. Their writing will reflect what they have learned from the Black artists they studied.

Make Black History in Middle School Tangible

And then… make it tangible. Your classroom and surrounding areas should radiate Black history all year long, not just in February. As your students are learning from the Black historical figures who have contributed vastly to the arts—including writing, speaking, and music—display their work around your classroom. What a great way to showcase past history and present brilliance by displaying your students’ creations?

And that’s how you make Black History in middle school more than just a month, but a lived learning experience all year long for ELA students.

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