Black History Month is observed every year during the month of February and is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Americans. The first Black History Month was celebrated in 1976, after President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."
"Each February, National Black History Month serves as both a celebration and a powerful reminder that Black history is American history, Black culture is American culture, and Black stories are essential to the ongoing story of America — our faults, our struggles, our progress, and our aspirations.
Shining a light on Black history today is as important to understanding ourselves and growing stronger as a Nation as it has ever been. That is why it is essential that we take time to celebrate the immeasurable contributions of Black Americans, honor the legacies and achievements of generations past, reckon with centuries of injustice, and confront those injustices that still fester today."
A Proclamation on National Black History Month, 2022
You can download our "Black History Month" bulletin board display here. We have spotlighted a number of Black Americans, from the 18th century to today.
Based on the size of your bulletin board you may choose to spotlight some or all of the individuals included and customize your bulletin board display in any number of ways.
We are asking for a suggested donation of $20 which will assist in our efforts to pay the artists and illustrators for their work creating the coloring pages for us each month. However, please feel free to pay whatever you are able. Donations can be made here.
Note: All 10 of the Black History coloring pages were created by BIPOC illustrators and artists.
Download our Black History Month Workbook, including all the information from our Bulletin Board. Ideal for teachers, families, caregivers, etc.
Tips for Printing and Putting the Bulletin Board Together:
Posters and Coloring Pages:
Each poster is formatted to print on 8 1/2" x 11 cardstock.
The coloring pages are formatted to print on 8 1/2" x 11 paper.
The "Win a Book" Drawing poster can be trimmed down and then attached to a box for children to drop their quiz or coloring page entries into if you choose to have a drawing for a book as part of your display.
Posters can be downloaded here.
You can see a small sampling of the 10 individuals we spotlighted this month in the posters below.
Banner: The banner is formatted to print as a poster at 36" x 10".
Depending on the size of your bulletin board you can cut the sides of the banner down to the size you would like. There are two similar banner options to choose from.
Banners can be downloaded here.
Border: The border is formatted to print on 11" x 17" cardstock.
We recommend printing five copies of the border to have enough to outline your bulletin board, however, depending on the size of your bulletin board you may need more or less.
(Note: the bulletin board at our local elementary school is approximately 96 inches x 47 inches and we need five copies of the border printed and cut to outline the bulletin board.)
Cut along the three lines to create four strips of the border from each sheet of cardstock.
Border can be downloaded here.
Note: We used the Preferred Crayon Border on our Bulletin Board.
We hope you enjoy learning more about American history centered on our Black brothers and sisters this month.