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High School Resources

Black History Month 2026

Please see the resources below.

 

Black History Month

Full Lessons

Civil Rights Baseball Card Grades 6-10
Mary Church Terrell (ELA Lesson) Grades 9-12
Discover African American Innovators in Technology Middle and High School Grades

Texts

I'm a Black Trans Teen and Resilience Is My Superpower In this op-ed, 14-year-old Rillei* explains that as a Black trans teen, resilience is her superpower during a hard year.
Poem "Haircuts" by Elizabeth Alexander with lesson plan Poem accompanied by interdisciplinary resources and activities designed to help teachers quickly and easily bring poetry into the classroom
Short Story "Spunk" by Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston was an African American novelist, short story writer, folklorist, anthropologist, and one of the most important figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston set many of her works, including "Spunk," in her hometown, Eatonville, Florida. She used the distinctive dialect of the region to create an authentic representation of the culture.
Shirley Chisholm's Presidential Announcement Speech Transcript hirley Chisholm (1924-2005) was an American politician, educator, and author. She was the first black woman elected to the United States Congress in 1968 and the first woman and black person to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 1972.

Videos

Growing up Black and Disabled Kate Gainer of Atlanta, GA speaks about her identity a black female with a disability in the south and how she grew into a life of disability advocacy. Gainer was born with cerebral palsy. She has been part of demonstrations supporting legislation such as MiCASA and now serves as the Disability Affairs Coordinator for the City of Atlanta. This is #15 out of more than 1,000 interviews that "It's Our Story" has collected in an effort to free the voices of the disability community. Visit us at www.itsourstory.org
Black History in Two Minutes: The Harlem Renaissance (3:01) In this episode of Black History in Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. — with additional commentary from Farah Griffin and Brent Hayes Edwards of Columbia University, and author and journalist Isabel Wilkerson — we look at a new generation of black people whose bold commitment to artistic expression will forever live on.
Out of the Shadows | Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise (5:52) In this lesson, students view video clips from the film Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise covering the strengths and weaknesses of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, as well as the impact of the Black Power movement on civil rights. They also explore Martin Luther King, Jr.’s controversial trip to Chicago that exposed racism and institutional segregation in the North.
Zora Neale Hurston's Hometown Legacy | The New York Times (6:12) In this video, the New York Times focuses on the history of Zora Neale Hurston’s hometown of Eatonville, Florida, and the impact Hurston’s writing had on her birthplace.

Additional Resources

National Gallery of Art: African American Artists A selection of works by African American artists included in the collection of the National Gallery of Art - works well with VTS
Discover the Mary Ann Shadd Cary House: A Lightning Lesson This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places nominations for the Greater U Street Historic District #98001557 (with photos) and the Mary Ann Shadd Cary House #76002128 (with photos). Discover the Mary Ann Shadd Cary House: A Lightning Lesson from Teaching with Historic Places was published in 2016.
Jazz Ambassadors: A Model for Cultural Diplomacy This lesson plan unpacks the principles of cultural diplomacy through an exploration of the Cold War “Jazz Ambassadors.” Students also investigate differing viewpoints of this program through historic newspapers and other primary source documents. Finally, students are asked to design their own program for cultural diplomacy.
Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges & Universities This collection features resources from Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities to facilitate dialogue and deepen understanding of the history, growth, and current challenges facing historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The film, guide, and lesson plans also offer a different perspective on the pervasive inequities institutions of higher education address.

Grade Level Standards