It’s vital to be intentional about all of history since black history is American History. Most texts, though well-meaning, don’t exhaust this rich subject. If you find that your homeschool history is not adequate, try supplementing with a unit study or additional text. Here are some tips on how to get started.
African American History Study Guides
Make your study of Black history easy to create and pull together. Use these pre-made resources to make your study the best yet!
Integrating Black History Month Lesson Plans into our Homeschool
Martin Luther King, Jr. Homeschool Unit Study
Free Martin Luther King Jr. Resource Guide
Lesson plan resources for Kindergarten – Twelfth Grade
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African American History Books
The study of Black American history can be deepened by using a good-quality text. Some of our favorites are highlighted here but click through the link below to find a wide selection of books for various ages.
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Additional Reading Resources
- Black Heroes: A Black History Book for Kids: 51 Inspiring People from Ancient Africa to Modern-Day U.S.A. by Arlisha Norwood
- Heroes in Black History: True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes by Dave and Neta Jackson
- The Great Book of Black Heroes: 30 Fearless and Inspirational Black Men and Women that Changed History by Bill O’Neill
- America’s Black Founders: Revolutionary Heroes & Early Leaders with 21 Activities by Nancy Sanders
- Black Inventors: 15 Inventions that Changed the World by Kathy Trusty
- The Story of Black History Box Set: Biography Books for New Readers by Rockridge Press
- Buffalo Soldiers: Heroes of the American West by Brynne Nicole Baker
African American Historical Leaders
The impact that African American historical leaders and famous people have had on American culture and the world is immense. Some of our favorites are highlighted here, but click through to discover many more amazing people that changed the course of history!
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African American Major Inventions
African Americans are responsible for inventing many of the conveniences that we use every day. Everyone loves a good potato chip, right? Well, without George Crum and his tasty invention, we’d be chipless! Find out about the potato chips and more!
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African American History Puzzles
Click here to download the Black History Printable Pack!
Test and expand your knowledge with these fun puzzles and People of Influence printables!
African American Culture: Facts to Know!
- Most African American culture is rooted in West and Central Africa but blended over the years with American culture. Today African American culture is distinctive, yet a significant part of American culture.
- Oral Traditions have been meticulously passed on through narratives and stories written by prominent black authors One example would be the heroic tales of John Henry.
- The Harlem Renaissance in the 1920-30s played an important role in the public recognition of African-American music, literature, and art.
- “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (written in honor of President Lincoln) was adopted as the “Negro National Anthem” by the NAACP in 1919.
- Throughout the 20th century, African American culture changed the face of popular music. Several musical forms with origins in the African-American community such as jazz, ragtime, blues, swing, Rock and roll, doo-wop, soul, rap, and R&B had transformed American popular music.
African American History Trivia
- Did you know that the “Lone Ranger” was based on the historical figure Bass Reeves, a real Texas Marshall who had a Native American companion and rode a silver horse?
- In 1920 the world gained the first licensed female African American pilot, named Bessie Coleman.
- The earliest recorded protest against slavery was by the Quakers in 1688.
- Inoculation was introduced to America by a slave named Onesimus. Cotton Mather accepted Onesimus’ encouragement to take some of the smallpox infection and scratch it into the skin of healthy people to build up immunity to the pox. Only 2% of those that did this died from smallpox that year.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. improvised his “I Have a Dream” speech. Many black leaders had worked with him on his speech the night before, of which reportedly never contained anything about a dream.
- Rosa Parks was not the first woman who refused to sit in the back of the bus. Claudette Colvin had been studying Black leaders like Harriet Tubman and felt indignation by having to sit in the back of the bus. On March 2, 1955, 9 months before Rosa Parks, Claudette was arrested and put in jail for not moving to the back of the bus.
Quiz Yourself On African American History!
Quiz on the 1964 Freedom Summer
Test your knowledge of the civil rights movement and African American history with this quiz on the events of the 1964 Freedom Summer.
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