First, this presentation is pretty heavy, so make sure that you talk about it with your JTE and go through each slide with them to ensure that your JTE and students are prepared for a lot of important information.
This presentation teaches students about black history month, following the theme of "honoring black struggles and highlighting black successes." I don't believe that black history should revolve around slavery, so this presentation starts with black history post-slavery, discussing segregation and racism from the civil rights era onward. We talk about important activists and figures including Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Ruby Bridges, and Barack Obama. We talk about black music, black representation, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
I only give this presentation to my 3rd graders in JHS because they are the only students of mine who /maybe/ have enough English comprehension to absorb it, but it could easily be suitable for SHS or even younger levels of JHS, if their English levels are good enough for them to understand.
On presentation day, I bring my Bluetooth speaker to school and play music by black artists in the background the entire time (making sure it's not too loud so that the students can hear and understand me, of course). I read from the notes, use gestures, and write/draw on the board while I give this presentation to make sure that my students understand.
Like I said, it is pretty heavy, but it might be the most important presentation you give all year. My 3rd graders were really impacted by this presentation last year. Even my students with the lowest English levels connected with it. I hope you enjoy it!
I may not be a part of your culture but I downloaded it to learn more about it. I was so moved by this presentation....almost got me teary eyed at the end of it. This presentation will definitely move the students too.
this is great! everyone else gets to share their history. The black experience is important too.
Thanks, everyone. I hope my presentation impacts your students. :)
Nice presentation. I think it is also worth noting that "black" identity is prominent mostly outside of Africa, as Africans identify with their ethnic identities more so than the politically imposed "black" identity. In other words, some Africans take offense to being referred to as "black", so students should be aware of that.