In the United States we observe Black History Month during the month of February. It is also known as African American History Month. The reason that February was selected for this observation was due to the fact that Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is on Feb. 12th and Frederick Douglass’ birthday is on Feb. 14th.
Black History Teaching and Service Day
I recently attended a black history teaching and service day. It was a free program which started out with the reading of a book on Black History and Martin Luther King. The facilitator then had the group learn a freedom song while he played his guitar. After that, the group moved to the second station.
At the second station, the group tossed up stuffed toys in a colorful parachute and talked about coming together. You could only toss the toys in the air if everyone participated and took a section of the parachute. Worked together was stressed.
There was also a table set up to make sound instruments out of empty soda cans. However, I didn’t see the group work on that project, so I’m not sure how it done.
Putting Together a Service Project
The last station was putting together a service project to donate to local homeless shelters consisting of baby essentials for new mothers.
Some of the younger children decorated the baby bags with stickers. While the older group picked up baby items from a long table and placed them in the decorated bags with a tuff of tissue paper.
At the end of the program, the completed bags were placed on a table to be delivered to those needing them.
I think all the participants learned a bit of Black History Month, what freedom means, a little about Martin Luther King and what it is like to complete a volunteer service project.
Ending Notes
For me, I thought the free program was well done and very thought provoking.
In the end, everyone went away with a little better understand of Black History Month and what is really means.
Resource Sites: Wikipedia, Black History Month
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