Names like Rosa Parks, Louis Armstrong and Martin Luther King Jr. have become common names in the vocabularies of elementary-aged kids.
However, as they grow older and get into junior and senior high school, the prevalence of Black History Month is no longer at the forefront, but instead on the back burner, only to be discussed if time allows.’
Robyn Lawrence, assistant director for the Children’s Lighthouse daycare center in Katy, said care givers begin teaching the importance of black history beginning at around age 4.
‘At the Children’s Lighthouse, we incorporate black history into our lesson plans for ages 4 and above,’ Lawrence said. ‘And for our three-month old groups, we play music from the likes of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald as a way of introducing them to the dynamics of Black History Month.’
Katherine McAteer, a seventh grade Texas history teacher at T. H. McDonald Junior High in Katy, said the school does not focus on teaching black history per class, but instead ends the month with a special program for the entire school.
‘ ‘Our class doesn’t do anything special in particular, but we always study the Buffalo Soldiers as part of our curriculum,’ McAteer said. ‘Many students and teachers get involved with the program ending Black History Month.’
Local high schools utilize class time to introduce guest speakers such as local poet Alice Redditt, who read aloud her poetry Wednesday at the Harris County Public Library, Katy Branch. Her poetry celebrates the history of African-American people.
High school is more centered on actual individuals whose experiences can make an impact on the often uninterested minds of teenagers.
The Texas Board of Education and each districts’ school board understands how the kids learn best at each age level and plans accordingly. While not as intensive as in latter years, our kids come out each school year having learned more about black history than the year before.
With President Obama now in office, our future generations have a lot to look forward to since history as we know it, has changed.
