Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action Open House

On December 19, 2018, D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice hosted an Open House to prepare for Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action (Feb. 4 - 8, 2019) at the Teaching for Change office.

Attendees browsed and discussed lessons and books related to the Black Lives Matter 13 guiding principles. Everyone received a free book.

The Teaching for Change conference room featured resources for middle and high school teachers, coordinated by Nqobile Mthethwa. Upstairs there were tables with resources for early childhood and elementary teachers, organized by Rosalie Reyes. The local nonprofit organization, Shout Mouse Press had a table of children's picture books written and published by D.C. students.

Representatives from the national planning committee for Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action (Denisha Jones) and Black Lives Matter DMV (Makia Green) spoke to the attendees and responded to questions.

Denisha Jones and Cynthia Greer

Makia Green of Black Lives Matter, DMV

Educators shared their inspiration and ideas for bringing the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action to their schools and teaching communities.

Children’s books were displayed, primarily sourced from the Social Justice Books lists on Black History, Racial Identity, Africa, and Afro-Latinx. Young adult titles were selected from Zinn Education Project recommendations.

Book Distribution

These titles were offered to participants to select from.

• Milo’s Museum by Zetta Elliott

• Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton, illustrated by Raul Colon

• Mumbet’s Declaration of Independence by Gretchen Woelfle

• Farmer Will Allen & the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Eric Larkin

• Teaching for Black Lives edited By Dyan Watson, Jesse Hagopian, Wayne Au

• When They Call You a Terrorist, A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele

• Rhythm and Resistance: Teaching Poetry for Social Justice edited by Linda Christensen and Dyan Watson

• Not Just a Game: Power, Politics, and American Sports (film) by Dave Zirin

Recommended Lessons

Resource binders included these recommended lessons by grade level.

Early Childhood & Elementary

• Lesson based on the book Milo’s Museum by Zetta Elliott [PK-2nd]
  Discussion questions and class project to accompany Milo’s Museum

• Lesson based on the book Child of the Civil Rights Movement [K-2nd]
  Designed to help students make a personal connection to the Civil Rights Movement. The use of food in the story helps students to identify with the civil rights activists, unified by a common goal and engaging in the common practice of fellowship over a meal.

Restorative Justice, Empathy and Loving Engagements

• Lesson based on the book One by Kathryn Otoshi [PK-1st]
  A read aloud to show children that we can come together and find common ground as long as we stand up for each other, and stand together.

Diversity and Globalism, Ethnic Studies

• What is Community? [K-2nd]
  Students identify people and places that make their own neighborhoods special.

Queer Affirming, Trans Affirming, Collective Value

• Introduction of Transgender and Nonbinary Identities with I Am Jazz [PK-2nd]
  Students will be able to define the words “transgender” and “nonbinary” and give examples of ways to support people of all gender identities.

Inter-generational, Black families and Black villages

• Understanding My Family’s History [K-5]
  After exposure to relevant literature in class, students research their family history and then tell their story to classmates.

Centering Black Women and Femmes

• Lesson based on the book Mumbet’s Declaration of Independence by Gretchen Woelfle [3rd-5th]

Middle School and High School

• BLM 13 Guiding Principles: Introductory Lesson

• Resistance 101: A Lesson on Social Justice Activists and Strategies [6th-12th]
  This role play activity introduces students to people throughout history, including many young people, who fought for social justice and civic change using a range of strategies. The lesson helps young people recognize their power to challenge injustice.

• #LastWords [7th-12th]
  Students reflect on the last words of people killed by the police and read and respond to the poem 41 Bullets off Broadway by Willie Perdomo.

• Black Muslims in the United States: An Introductory Activity [6th-12th]
  This interactive lesson introduces participants to Black Muslims in U.S. history through a meet-and-greet activity, empowering participants to combat Islamophobia by sharing stories that challenge unidimensional caricatures of Muslims

• ‘If There Is No Struggle…’: Teaching a People’s History of the Abolition Movement [6th-12th]
  In this role play, students become members of the American Anti-Slavery Society, facing many of the real challenges to ending slavery

This week of action will build on the momentum of last year’s successful week of action campaign, taking place in cities across the U.S. to promote a set of national demands based in the Black Lives Matter guiding principles that focus on improving the school experience for students of color.

Sign up to participate and join the Black Lives Matter at School movement!

Below are more photos from the Open House.