Black History Month - Ebony Education · Key Films for for Black History Month and Beyond Name of...

Ebony Education Black History Resource www.ebonyeducation.com

Copyright: 2006 Ebony Education (except where indicted) 1

Black History Month: a resource for schools and

families (Part 1)

Black History Month

Black History Month was started by Harvard scholar Dr.

Carter. G. Woodson in 1926. In 1926 Dr Woodson organised the

first annual Negro History Week, which took place during the

second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of

Fredrick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Negro History week

rapidly became Negro History Month.

Biographical Details

Both of Dr. Woodson’s parents were born into slavery. In 1915

Dr. Woodson established the Association for the Study of

Negro Life and History, and a year later founded the widely

respected Journal of Negro History.

Truth comes to us from the past, then, like gold washed down from the mountains.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson



The aims of Black History Month are:

To promote knowledge of black history and

black experience

To encourage research and development

into black history

To share information on the positive

contributions that black people have made

to world history

To increase the confidence, pride and

awareness of Black people in their cultural

heritage



Black Inventors What if there were no black people in the world? This is very interesting! This is just

amazing!! Here are some FACTS to ponder!!! This is a story of a little boy named Theo, who woke up one morning and asked God,

"What if there were no Black people in the world? Well, God thought about that for a

moment and then said, "Son, follow me around today and let's just see what it would

be like if there were no Black people in the world. Get dressed and we will get

started. "Theo ran to his room to put on his clothes and shoes. But there were no

shoes, and his clothes were all wrinkled. He looked for the iron, but when he reached

for the ironing board, it was no longer there. You see Sarah Boone, a Black woman,

invented the ironing board and Jan E. Matzelinger, a Black man invented the shoe

lasting machine. "Oh well", God said, "go and do your hair". Theo ran in his room to comb his hair,

but the comb was not there. You see, Walter Sammons, a Black man, invented the

comb. Theo decided to just brush his hair, but the brush was gone. You see Lydia O.

Newman, a Black female, invented the brush. Well, he was a sight, no shoes,

wrinkled clothes, hair a mess without the hair care inventions of Madam C.J. Walker,

well, you get the picture.



God told Theo, "let's do the chores around the house and then take a trip to the

grocery store". Theo's job was to sweep the floor. He swept and swept and swept.

When he reached for the dustpan, it was not there. You see, Lloyd P.Ray, a Black

man, invented the dustpan. So he swept this pile of dirt over in the corner and left it

there. He then decided to mop the floor, but the mop was gone. You see, Thomas W.

Stewart, a Black man, invented the mop. Theo thought to himself, "I'm not having

any luck". "Well son" God said, "We should wash the clothes and prepare a list for the grocery

store". When he was finished, Theo went to place the clothes in the dryer, but it was

not there. You see, George T. Samon, a Black man, invented the clothes dryer. Theo

got a pencil and some paper to prepare the list for the market, but noticed that the

pencil lead was broken as well, he was out of luck because John Love, a Black man,

invented the pencil sharpener. He reached for a pen, but it was not there because

William Purvis, a Black man, invented the fountain pen. As a matter of fact, Lee

Burridge invented the type writing machine, and W.A. Lavette, the printing press. So

they decided to head out to the market. Well, when Theo opened the door, he noticed

the grass was as high as he was tall. You see John Burr a Black man invented the

lawnmower. They made their way over to the car and found that it just wouldn't go. You see,

Robert Spikes, a Black man invented the automatic gearshift and Joseph Gammel

invented the supercharge system for internal combustion engines. They noticed that

the few cars that were moving were running into each other and having wrecks

because there were no traffic signals. You see Garrett A. Morgan, a Black man

invented the traffic light. Well, it was getting late so they walked to the market, got

their groceries and returned home. Just when they were about to put away the milk,

eggs and butter they noticed the refrigerator was gone. You see, John Standard, a

Black man invented the refrigerator. So they put the food on the counter. By this time they noticed it was getting mighty cold. Theo went to turn up the heat

and what do you know, Alice Parket, Black female, invented the heating furnace.

Even in the summer time they would have been out of luck because Frederick Jones, a

Black man, invented the air conditioner. It was almost time for Theo's father to arrive

home. He usually took the bus, but there was no bus because its precursor was the

electric trolley, invented by another Black man, Elbert T. Robinson. He usually took

the elevator from his office on the 20th

floor, but there was no elevator because

Alexander Miles, a Black man, invented the elevator. He usually dropped off the

office mail at a nearby mailbox, but it was no longer there because Phillip Downing, a

Black man, invented the postmarking and cancelling machine. Theo sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. When his father arrived he

asked, "Why are you sitting in the dark?" Why? Because Lewis Howard Latimer, a

Black man, invented the filament within the light bulb. Theo quickly learned what it would be like if there were no Black people in the world.

Not to mention if he were ever sick and needed blood. Charles Drew, a Black

scientist, found a way to preserve and store blood, which led to his starting the world's

first blood bank. And what if a family member has to have surgery. This would not

have been possible without Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a Black doctor, who performed



the first open-heart surgery. So if you ever wonder, like Theo, where we would be

without Blacks, well it's pretty plain to see, we could very well still be in the dark!!!

Author unknown

Questions

1. Which black person invented the traffic

lights?

__________________________________

2. Which black person invented the pencil

sharpener?

__________________________________

3. Which black person invented the cartridge

fountain pen?

_________________________________

Celebrating the Achievement of a Special

Black Woman

International Women’s Day takes place on 8th

March and is celebrated all over the world. In

1975 the United Nations began sponsoring



International Women’s Day to celebrate women’s

achievements and focus on issues affecting

women and girls.

A woman that has achieved great things is the

Kenyan environmentalist, Wangari Maathai.

Wangari started the Green Belt Movement,

which is a tree planting movement in Kenya and

has a large amount of women involved.

This tree planting project has seen the planting

of millions of trees in East Africa to provide

both fuel and food to local people and to stop soil

erosion.

Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Prize

for her great work in helping others. Here is a

poem about her work

The Woman and the Tree By D. Simon

One day a woman called Wangari planted a little

tree

Then soon, upon its branch a bird came and

sang so sweetly



Causing all children to run and sit upon their

knees

For none had heard a creature in such blissful

harmony

Suddenly fruit fell from this mango tree

So the children ate until it was three

Waiting for the old woman’s wisdom and poetry.

Eventually, after the burst of the fruits glee

The brown woman finally sprinkled words upon

the children’s curiosity:

Every child has their own learning tree And every tree has a secret magical key And if you live with truth’s simplicity You will always find love, joy and be forever free.

Black History Photo Gallery

Pictures of Black Victorians



Sarah Forbes Bonetta - known as The Brighton Princess

Greenwich Pensioners (1854) - there were many black people in Britain during Victorian times.

Pictures of Black Victorians



Acrobat Mademoiselle La La is one of the many entertainers, churchmen, sportsmen, artists' models and politicians

Jamaican-born Mary Seacole was a pioneering nurse and heroine of the Crimean War.



Arthur Wharton was the first black professional footballer and played for Darlington, Preston North End, Rotherham and Sheffield.

Painting of a black Victorian boy



Black Victorian nursing a baby.

The Fisk Jubilee Singers were Black American students who toured Britain in 1866 to raise money for a Black University in America



Samuel Coleridge-Taylor is a Composer who wove Black themed music into classical music (1875 -1912)

William Cuffay - Leader of the London Chartist Movement, forerunner to The Labour Party (1788 – 1870)



A photograph of a slave ship taken in 1869

Useful Black History Websites

Email Address Suitability

www.ebonyeducation.com Suitable for KS2/3/4/5

www.blackhistory4schools.co.uk Suitable for KS2/3/4/5



www.blackhistory.com Suitable for KS1/2/3/4/teachers

www.black-history-month.co.uk Suitable for KS2/3/4/5/teachers

www.everygeneration.co.uk Suitable for KS2/3/4/5 teachers

and pupils

www.bunchecenter.ucla.edu/diaspora/

research_blacks.htm

Suitable for KS2/3/4/5 teachers

& pupils

Black History Resources for Schools, Colleges and the Home

Key Films for for Black History Month and Beyond

Name of Film/Documentary Usefulness Key Stage

Films with a Strong Rites of

Passage theme

1. Kirikou Showing African culture KS1 – KS4 (5-17)

2. Our Friend Martin Black History KS 2 – KS4 (7 – 17)

3. Rue Cases Negres Black History (colonialism) KS2 – KS4 (7 -17)

4. Boyz N the Hood Urban Black social history KS3 – KS4 (11 – 17)

5. The Wood RoP KS3 – KS4 (11 – 17)

6. Slam RoP KS3 – KS4 (11 – 17)

7. Eves Bayou Black Family Relations KS4 (14- 17)

8. City of God Portrays urban Black

Brazilian culture

KS4 (16 plus)

9. Daughters of the Dust Black women issues/insight KS4 (14- 17)

10. Akeelah & the Bee Educational Achievement KS2 – KS4 (10 – 17)

11. The Debaters Educational Achievement KS2 – KS4

Black Documentaries

1. Great and Mighty Walk Black History KS3 – KS4 (11 – 17)

2. Blacks in Science Black Scientific history KS3 – KS4 (11 – 17)

3. Black Intelligentsia Black Education KS3 – KS4 (11 – 17)

4. 500 Years Black History KS3 – KS4/5 (11 –

17)

African-Caribbean Films

1. Xala Post Colonial Africa - a

satirical look

KS3 – KS4

2. The Harder They Come Post independent Jamaica KS3 – KS4/5(11 –

17)

3. Tilai Marital relations in Africa KS3 – KS4/5 (11 –

17)

Complied by Ebony Education

Black History Month - Ebony Education · Key Films for for Black History Month and Beyond Name of...

Documents

Transcript of Black History Month - Ebony Education · Key Films for for Black History Month and Beyond Name of...