At WA Charters, we believe in Cultural Humility. We commit to listening, leading with compassion and honesty, and celebrating all cultures in order to build trust and authentically support community restoration and empowerment.
February is Black History Month, which was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history.
Throughout the past month, WA Charters’ Organization Culture Team kept our staff engaged with articles that celebrate and support the learning of Black Communities in Washington, encouraging reflections and discussions. Here are some of the questions we spent time reflecting on:
- What did we learn about Black History Month growing up, in school? What are we unlearning as adults?
- What Black History exists in the communities we live in?
- Who are the Black people from history that we are learning about today?
To extend our collective learning beyond February, we are sharing these resources with our broader community of schools, families, and partners! Check out the links below (resources also available in our Learning Library):
Docuseries
- High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America – available on Netflix
- The 1619 Project – available on Hulu
TEDx Talks
- How Banning the African Drum Gave Birth to American Music by: Chris Johnson – available on YouTube
- Black History is American History by: Okalani Dawkins
Video Playlist
Crash Course: Black American History by: Clint Smith
Books
- High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by: Jessica B. Harris
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by: Michelle Alexander
- How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery in America by: Clint Smith
- The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans and How We Can Fix It by: Dorothy A. Brown
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race by: Beverly Daniel Tatum
Articles
- How Black Culture has Shaped American Dance History by: Charise Roberts
- African American Influence on American Music by: Smithsonian Music
- The Soundtrack of History: How Black Music has Shaped American Culture Through Time by: Maya Eaglin (MSNBC)
Podcasts
- Undistracted by: Brittany Packnett Cunningham
- I didn’t Know, Maybe You Didn’t Either by: B Dhat
- Black History for Real by Franchesca Ramsey and Conscious Lee
- The Fight to Keep Black Moms and Babies Alive by: Washington Post
Other Resources
- F.D. Signifier/Signified B Sides (YouTube Creator)
- National Museum of African American History and Culture Curated Stories (Website)
- Black Washington (App)
- Sunn m’Cheaux on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube (Professor)