Lift Every Voice and Sing — Celebrating Black History in Schools

Lift every voice and sing

Till earth and heaven ring

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the list’ning skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea

Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun

Let us march on till victory is won

At every Black History Month assembly, you would hear the Black National Anthem being belted out of every single student at my elementary school. From the little kindergartners, who butchered almost every word to the 8th graders who had perfected the lyrics in preparation for the required 8th-grade music final.

You could hear their voices filling the large auditorium as they stood to their feet to showcase their individual mastery of every lyric Mr. Love (our Music Teacher) taught us as he played the piano. As Mr. Love played and every student sang, we would all watch the African-American flag being carried from the rear to the front of the auditorium and posted in the center of the stage. As Mr. Love’s piano crescendoed and voices bravadoes at “Till Viccccctoryyyyyyy is Wonnn,” you could feel the pride, community, love, joy and our identities being affirmed through music.

This tradition made Black History Month magical.

In 1926 Carter G, Woodson, the Father of Black History stated, “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” Woodson, who earned a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Harvard, both in history, grew frustrated with how Black people were underrepresented in his studies of American History. Ultimately, Woodson launched “Negro History Week” that later became Black History Month, as a means to bring attention to his mission to help school systems coordinate their focus on the topic.

Between 1926 and 2020, classrooms have become more racially and ethnically diverse. Recently, white students became the minority in public school making up less than 50% of the enrolled K-12 students in the United States. Public School teachers have also seen an increase in diversity, but overwhelmingly classrooms are led by white teachers who make up 80% of the profession. It is projected that classrooms will continue to grow in diversity and like Woodson, Baldwin and many others including myself, those students will grow with frustration with the education system if it doesn’t affirm their identities.

Black History Month is an opportunity to realize Woodson’s mission to help schools systems open space and recognize this month as one of empowerment, learning and genuine celebration of Black culture and history. I attended a public school and worked in public education for over 20 years and in both of those roles I’ve witnessed varying levels of Black History Month celebrations.

More often than not, I’ve witnessed February roll around and no one would whisper a word about Black History Month.

And if the month was recognized, it’s often repetitive of the same ole story. We quickly cover the sad and tragic history of Black culture like slavery and Jim Crow. And year after year we recognize the same few Black heroes like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Harriett Tubman. While being aware, we ignore the fact that there are so many other amazing contributors to African-American culture and history.

Now is the time to revive, rejoice, and refine Black history recognition to positively affirm our student’s identities and promote schools as hubs of diversity, equity, inclusion and access. Celebrating Black History Month doesn’t require as much of a heavy lift as many think. When I do hear the rumbles of Black history month planning, I hear teachers go for a full curriculum overhaul, the four-hour Black history assembly that requires weeks of practice, and of course the extravagant soul food lunch/dinner. And often because these items require such a heavy lift they frequently result in less than exceptional experiences or they don’t happen at all.

Celebrating Black History Month in schools can be empowering and done with ease. For many schools, simply acknowledging the month is a great start. Acknowledging Black History Month doesn’t have to start on February 1, so if you get off to a late start, you can still celebrate Black culture and history. Here are a few ways to acknowledge Black History successfully:

• Slideshow video or bulletin board of Black History fun facts around the school.
• Guest performances from Black poets, actors, dancers, or storytellers.
• School-wide Black History fact competition (Check out “For the Culture” game app).
• Black History Month acknowledgment statement from a school leader.

This is a very short list of actionable items for those who are short on time, resources, or ideas.

If you can plan in advance, there are plenty of opportunities to acknowledge Black History Month through opportunities of reciprocal learning and healing. Grounding Black History Month in giving is a great way to honor our past and pay it forward. Having your students and staff complete a service project at a local Black-owned business or organization (schools or community center) that serves predominantly African-Americans can be empowering, fulfilling and affirming.

Facts fade but stories stay — teachers can share in the learning by simply sharing a short read aloud or retell the stories of contributors of Black history and culture. This is a great way for teachers to share in the learning and builds their Black history knowledge that can be used later and across subjects. Lastly, talent shows are a great way to get interactive and allow students to be creative. Having and supporting students in putting on a variety show that allows them to share the stories of prominent African American figures (past and present) and demonstrate their talents through performance is a great way to culminate Black History Month in a memorable way.

At 8th grade graduation, every graduate stood strong and proud as we collectively sang Lift Every Voice and Sing for the very last time together. After weeks of studying the lyrics (graduation requirement), the roar of our matured voices against the high ceilings of the auditorium, felt almost spiritual as we clearly and soulfully sang every word of all 3 verses of the song. Not every student was African-American but, every student felt loved, set free — if only for that moment — liberated. Through music, Mr. Love taught an entire school community that celebrating Black History is about healing, hope and wholeness.

Please feel free to share your favorite Black History Month Traditions or celebrations.

The opinions expressed in this blog posting are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Surge Institute.