Search

When it comes to Native American history and culture, many textbooks are light on relevant content. Learn about a new Smithsonian program and state initiatives designed to support robust, accurate teaching about Native history and contemporary issues.

Young people aren't alone in seeking opportunities to learn honest history, and the classroom isn't the only location where such education can take place. In various community spaces—including virtual ones—many adults are also willing to do the work reckoning with our nation’s history of anti-Blackness and white supremacy, recognizing that past in the present and finding liberatory ways forward. These LFJ resources highlight possibilities for self-reflection and ongoing learning. 

The accurate history of American slavery should be taught to children in age-appropriate and honest ways that develop critical thinking, while recognizing that Black history is U.S. history and goes beyond slavery. These LFJ publications—including Teaching Hard History: American Slavery, a K-12 curriculum framework—reinforce the importance of teaching this history honestly and provide resources for educators and parents.

How can history help us resist hate in society today and work toward a more inclusive future? Opposition to equality is, unfortunately, not new to the history of the United States. Recognizing the relevance of history to today’s justice movements is crucial for understanding and countering current pushbacks against democratic values. And with the intense efforts to dismantle public education and to erase and alter our country’s history, teaching accurate history — including the hard truths of our nation’s past — is essential. 

Black History Month begins February 1! And while we know anti-racist educators teach Black history year-round, we hope these resources will help you consider how you're framing the month this particular year. Learn more about the need for—and history behind—Black History Month and get support for teaching Black history in a way that moves beyond trauma and embraces liberation and resistance.