10 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month at Home

Here are some tips educators can pass along to families as they prepare for Black History Month.

1. Ask your local librarian to recommend books to read with your child.

2. Visit a museum or cultural arts institution that showcases African American art and culture.

3. Read about notable African Americans from Washington State.

4. Play mancala, a traditional counting game popular in Africa. Make your own mancala game from an egg carton.

5. Find opportunities in your community to celebrate Black History.

6. Reflect on issues African Americans face today. Visit the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs website for more information.

7. Create a Black History calendar for the whole year. Black history shouldn’t be confined to February. Click here to find an important event in African American history for every day of the year.

8. Talk with your child about Black History. Possible topics and questions to get started:
* What rights do we take for granted: the right to vote, to get an education, to read, to go shopping, to ride on a bus, to eat in a restaurant, to live where we choose, to get married. What would our lives be like without these rights?
* Many groups of people still experience racism or discrimination. Discuss with your child what this looks like today and what your family might do to treat all people fairly.

9. Use the World Wide Web to learn more about African-American History.

10. Remember that black history is everyone’s history.