Celebrating Black History Month in an Anti-DEI Society

Three of the Executive Orders signed by the President on Inauguration Day roll back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in the United States. Immediate enforcement efforts have resulted in federal agencies and those who work with them taking down website information about civil liberties and pausing research that might support DEI initiatives. They also raise the question: how do we help children celebrate Black History Month in a society that has become hostile to diversity and inclusion?

It might be tempting to just downplay the celebration this year in order to protect children from diversity politics. But kids are well aware of social debates, even if only indirectly. They see and hear snippets of adult conversation and media coverage. They also pick up on adult feelings of frustration, anger, fear, and concern. So instead of ignoring February’s emphasis on Black history, consider leaning into the subject even more than in the past.

Share with children why it is important to celebrate diversity. Talk about the U.S.’s history of discrimination against people of color and particularly Black communities. Read books about the U.S. slave trade and enslaved persons, such as The 1619 Project: Born on the Water (ages 7-10) and Before She was Harriet (ages 3-8). Tell them about Jim Crow laws and other historic forms of racial discrimination. Recall together the Black Lives Matter protests and marches of the last few years, noting that racism is still an issue today.

Introduce (or reintroduce) kids to major figures in the Civil Rights Movement. Don’t assume that children will learn about Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, W.E.B. Du Bois, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Malcolm X in school or other programs. Listen to MLK’s I Have a Dream speech together. Make a game out of searching for lesser-known figures who contributed to the fight for civil rights. Post images and quotes from Black leaders on the wall or frig where the whole family will see them.

Examine together your thoughts and feelings about inclusion. Invite children to think about how their skin color affects the ways they are treated. Ask them to share stories of inclusion and exclusion they have experienced or witnessed. Children of color may readily offer examples of times they have been explicitly or even subtly excluded. White children may have a harder time seeing how skin color influences inclusion and may need to compare their experiences with those of their Black peers.

Give thanks for the contributions of Black scientists, inventors, and other community leaders. Watch a YouTube episode of Star Talk with Black astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson and marvel at what you learn from him. Research Black scientists from the past that didn’t get recognized (see Related Resources) and celebrate their accomplishments. Think about how the world would be different if Black inventors hadn’t developed traffic signals, color computer monitors, or the ironing board.