At Pinewood, African American history and culture and their invaluable contributions to U.S. American and world history and culture is not a separate unit to be celebrated for one month only. On the contrary, its influence is seamlessly integrated into the curriculum so that it continues to inspire students throughout the years. It also provides an important entry point for opening discussions with our students about race relations, civil rights, implicit bias, inequality, power, privilege, and so much more.
In the words of President Barack Obama in 2016, “Black History Month shouldn’t be treated as though it is somehow separate from our collective American history… It’s about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America”. Accordingly, at Pinewood every month is a Black history month.
Each week this month, we will highlight teaching units created by our teachers and taught to students during the year to tackle the invaluable work of understanding black history in the U.S. and beyond.
– Dr. Roxanne Giampapa & Dr. Apostolos Rofaelas