As I listen to some of the Jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, and Charlie Parker (as I typically do when I am writing or researching), it was an important reminder that this month is Black History Month. Though it’s critical we are teaching and learning about Black history and it’s shaping contributions to American culture all year long, this month shines a light on the opportunity to dive further into Black History. And this year’s theme is African Americans and the Arts.

Though we can easily identify important influences in every art form from performing arts to visual arts, children’s books, whether picture books or chapter books, are particularly helpful for us as parents. We can introduce our families to Black authors like Derrick Barnes and illustrators like Gordon C. James of “I Am Every Good Thing.” We can learn about people, places, and events that were shaping through nonfiction and biographies like The Oldest Student; How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard or Gordon Parks; How the Photographer Captured Black and White America by Carole Boston Weatherford. And we can deep dive into stories that allow us to experience what family life can be like as in Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham.

This year, Books for Change, an initiative of the Office of Child Development at the University of Pittsburgh under the leadership of Confident Parents’ Lead Author Shannon Wanless along with colleague Rhonda Hall, Family Engagement Practitioner introduced us to a book that is not only racially affirming but also helps us better understand neuro-diversity and how one parent supports her child’s learning and communication in A Day with No Words by Tiffany Hammond. 

Check out the following video by the Office of Child Development offering 9 Tips for Reading to Children.  

In addition, Books for Change provides guidance on how to select books that are high quality and racially affirming. 

Here are a few more recommendations from We Are Teachers:

28 Brilliant Black Children’s Book Authors We Love

We also appreciate the following resources from Confident Parents’ Lead Author Lorea Martinez:

For Educators: Social and Emotional Learning Tools for Black History Month

Art, Imagination and the Quest for Racial Justice by Facing History and Ourselves

Exploring Black History Through Black Poets by Facing History and Ourselves

Celebrating Africa as Part of Black History by Edutopia

In the month of February, we appreciate the chance to celebrate the many contributions of Black Americans in American history. Our lives, in particular, continue to be enlivened, enriched, and educated by the artistic contributions of so many.