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Looking Back at Black History Month
Dear New Yorkers,
Looking back at the past few weeks, I couldn’t be prouder of how we commemorated Black History Month here at NYC Public Schools.
First, we held a deeply moving Black History Month celebration at our central office at Tweed Courthouse, featuring performances by student musicians and writers from the Channel View School for Research, Frederick Douglass Academy II, and Transit Tech CTE High School.
Then, this week, we launched the newest edition in our Hidden Voices series: Stories of the Global African Diaspora, Volume 1. Developed over the last three years with extensive input from leading scholars and community partners, the series profiles changemakers of African descent, many overlooked in traditional historical narratives, to highlight their immense impact on the United States and the world.
And finally, I was thrilled to support our partners at the Education Equity Action Plan Coalition (EEAPC), who recently announced they are moving into the second phase of their Black Studies Curriculum pilot. We’re honored to work with the EEAPC as this curriculum takes shape.
I believe all our students deserve to see their histories and backgrounds reflected in their classrooms, a belief grounded in my own childhood. When I was in elementary school, an amazing educator named Ms. Mildred Scott taught me about the rich history of Africa and of African Americans. She instilled in me a strong sense of pride in my heritage—and at the Hidden Voices event, I even read a poem about Africa that I wrote in her class!
Through Hidden Voices and the Black Studies Curriculum, students across our city will also have access to classroom materials that inspire and empower them. And it goes beyond New York. Hidden Voices is available to teachers, families, and districts across the nation. Anyone can download these resources for free at weteachnyc.org.
Black History Month is wrapping up, but the learning is just beginning. To our staff and families, thank you for all you do, both to commemorate the past and to shape our collective future.
Soaring high,
David C. Banks
Chancellor
Our Spotlight Video:
Hidden Voices: Stories of the Global African Diaspora delves into the perspectives and experiences that people of African descent have had,… | Instagram
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