Celebrating the Joy & Liberation in Black History
In "Teaching is a revolutionary act," Dr. Precious Symonette, high school English teacher for Miami-Dade Public Schools, points to the liberatory power of teaching Black history. She writes, “We show [Black students] they are worthy of learning their true history and developing a knowledge of self which helps to change the trajectory of their lives. They build a confident sense of self-esteem and know that it’s OK for them to be a proud, Black individual. When this happens, a metamorphosis will happen.”
Our Black History Month campaign seeks photos, video, and 100-stories that celebrate the joy and liberation in teaching Black History.
How to participate
- Submit a 100-word story and a photo that goes with it. Tell us how you highlight joy and liberation in teaching Black History.
- Share a “shelfie”— a photo of you and the books you recommend on this theme.
- Film a short show-and-tell video. We love video and so does our community! If you’ve got a smartphone, you’ve got the tools to create a short video telling how you celebrate and teach Black history.
*Send your submissions to dfw@teach.org with the subject “Black history month submission.”
Compensation
We honor the time, energy, and expertise of our community members. If selected, we will compensate you for your contribution. We pay $50 for 100-word stories with photos and $100 for video submissions.
How we’ll use your contribution
If we select your story, we will publish it on our web platform and celebrate it on social media during Black History Month (2/01-2/28). We may share your story on our website, on our social media channels, in email or in other digital outreach. We have campaigns and opportunities for teacher contributions all year long. If we think your story is a fit for another campaign, we’ll let you know!