COVID-19 has put a damper on traditional Black History Months at Acadiana schools, but there are many virtual events available for our children.
We've put together a list of events for teachers to use with their classes, or parents to use with their children at home, and for adults to learn about and celebrate Black History.
Here they are:
A virtual exhibit, "The Things We Do for Ourselves," presents a 100-year story of how Black-owned and run businesses, organizations, and institutions helped to grow New Orleans’ future despite societal inequities of the day. Drawn from the Amistad Research Center’s vast archives and collections, “The Things We Do for Ourselves: African American Leadership in New Orleans” documents how the Crescent City has benefited from African American leadership and engagement from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. This permanent exhibit uses Google Cultural Institute’s exhibition platform to create a virtual expansion of a physical exhibition at the Amistad Research Center in 2015. The exhibit uses detailed narratives and rare images to chronicle how African-American leaders—many whose family names still ring familiar across the city and nation—championed civil rights and filled voids in myriad services and resources for African-American New Orleanians during segregation in the United States. It is funded by Hancock Whitney Bank. To view the virtual exhibit, visit https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-things-we-do-for-ourselves%C2%A0/oQLyPrq-_l25Kw [r20.rs6.net].
There's a new exhibit in New Orleans, "Mystery in Motion: African American Masking and Spirituality in Mardi Gras," presented by the The Louisiana State Museum, working in collaboration with the renowned Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac in Paris. Several virtual events are included in the run, to read about them click here.
The Smithsonian has several virtual events planned for Februrary. To see the list, click here. They're free but most require that you sign up to attend.
The History Channel has put together a list, "Anthems of Black Pride and Protest Through American History," which looks at the use of music in the American Black experience. To view the list, click here. To read more about music, check out this page from the National Museum of African American History and Culture about Black Music Month. Minnesota Public Radio has this timeline of Black music in America. And, here's a link from the Toledo Museum about Black Music.
Speaking of the NMAAHC, the museum has online exhibits and virtual exhibits as well. Click here for more information and links. The exhibits include a look at the African American military experience, exhibits on Dr. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement, on James Baldwin, Pauli Murray and music.
Syracuse University has curated a virtual Black History Museum. Early abolitionists, suffragists, and advocates for native sovereignty and treaty rights established their voices and led nationwide change from Central New York. The area has also reverberated from such dramatic shifts as the vast migration from Southern states and the demise of the city’s 15th ward. A partnership of residents, community organizations, and SU faculty and staff has resulted in the development of this virtual museum to highlight the presence, accomplishments, and contributions of our often under-recognized community. You can get more information, including the link to the museum, here.
We Are Teachers offers a list of ideas, with links and other information, for Black History activities. The list includes several virtual tours and other resources. To see it, click here.
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History has a series of events scheduled throughout the month of February, which offer conversations on a variety of topics, from space travel to food to diving. Here's the link to a list of events.
