Celebrating Black History Year-Round: How BCS Honors the Legacy and Future of Black Brooklyn

In 1926, Black Harvard historian Carter G. Woodson declared the second week of February “Negro History Week” as a way to celebrate the accomplishments of Black people and encourage the study of Black history in academic circles. Woodson decided on this week because it included the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, two leaders who were instrumental in securing the rights of African Americans. 

“If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated,” Woodson said.

This week-long observance was extended into Black History Month (BHM) in 1976, with President Gerald Ford recognizing the need to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Black History Month (BHM) has been celebrated in the U.S. every February since, with schools, organizations, and companies alike using the month as a chance to amplify Black voices and celebrate historic achievements. 

Since the adoption of Black History Month, Brooklyn has been home to numerous BHM events and celebrations. The borough has a Black population of nearly 800,000 and is home to a diverse array of Black communities. In February of 2024, New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission released an interactive “story map” that showcases 75 individual landmarks and 33 districts that have played a major role in NYC’s Black history. Among the locations included in this project are Weeksville’s Houses on Hunterfly Road, the Harriet and Thomas Truesdell House in Downtown Brooklyn, and the Friends Meeting House in Boerum Hill. 

From Bed-Stuy to Weeksville to Flatbush, Brooklyn’s historically-Black neighborhoods have made countless contributions–social, economic, cultural, political–to the borough, the city, and the world at large. Bed-Stuy alone is the birthplace of the first black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, Chris Rock, activist Hattie Carthan, the Notorious B.I.G., and Tracy Morgan, among so many others. A new digital community project called Bed-Stuy Forever, run by activist Troy Carmichael, works to document and uncover the neighborhood’s rich history through archival photos, audio recordings, and videos. 

“I’ve been kind of going around my neighborhood and asking my neighbors if they are willing to share archives,” Robinson said in an interview with BKReader.  “There’s a few Black families left who own brownstones on this block. Everyone knows about the famous people who lived here. But, I really do want to focus on just getting the more intimate stories.” 

As this year’s Black History Month draws to a close, we at BCS want to acknowledge the importance of teaching Black history–and especially Black Brooklyn history–to young Brooklynites year round. As Rann Miller of Edutopia puts it, “Black history isn’t a relic of the past. Black history is living and breathing; Black people make history every day, including Black people in your local community.” In a borough where new Black achievements are made every day, Black history should be a continual part of students’ education across subjects. 

Miller suggests that teachers “seek out opportunities to invite guests into your classroom throughout the year. Invite Black community members who may be politicians, doctors, or entrepreneurs—not only to speak to students but to partner with them on a project or event related to serving the community, but specifically the Black community.” It is important for children to see that Black history is ever-evolving and still affects all of us today. Helping kids understand and discuss Black perspectives can shape them into more empathetic, open-minded individuals and inspire Black children to pursue their dreams and become change-makers in their neighborhoods. ​​

“We do not live in a monocultural or monolingual world, so these children who will become decision-makers in the near future need to understand a society that not only includes persons that look like them,” says LaGarrett King, founder of the University at Buffalo’s Center for K-12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education. “If we can teach about all folks, our country will become a better place.”

In BCS’s Education and Youth Development Division, young Brooklynites engage with Black history all school year, with extracurricular activities that encourage kids to embrace their identities and dream big for the future. Elementary school students at our PS 156 afterschool program have made and displayed artwork honoring Black creatives like Miles Davis at their annual end-of-year art show, while students at PS 21 have created posters about notable Black women. 

Hannah Lovemore, Program Director at PS 149, encourages teachers to highlight African American leaders and professionals within the afterschool program. For instance, students recently learned about Cool Runnings, the first Jamaican bobsled team, as part of their health and fitness curriculum. “Students care about representation,” Lovemore says. “They are excited to know that there is a famous person or professional who is in the field they are interested in or was a pioneer in the space they are learning about.”

Students in Beacon, our career readiness program for middle and high schoolers, have the chance to attend career summits that feature Black movers and shakers across industries–from the performing arts to medicine to law enforcement. By hearing from successful, Black professionals, students are able to better themselves in these positions and discover career paths they may have thought weren’t possible for them. `

As the National Association of Elementary School Principals states, “Learning about Black historical figures and their contributions can inspire all students, regardless of their background. It provides role models and demonstrates that leadership and innovation can come from diverse sources, encouraging students to dream big and pursue their ambitions.”

For Jesus Medina Jr., Director of BCS’s Academy for Young Writers, empowering young people to celebrate Black heritage is one of the most rewarding parts of being an educator. “The kids get a sense of pride and understanding,” he says. “Learning about Black history empowers students to stand up against racism and discrimination and inspires them to be advocates for equality and social justice in their communities.” Similar to Beacon, students at the Academy for Young Writers regularly attend talks and workshops hosted by Black leaders in various fields and also participate in activities that highlight important figures in Black history. 

Lovemore believes it is also important that her students stay informed about the Black contributions that are regularly being made in their neighborhood of East New York. “At [PS 149], they know of Black influencers, artists, musicians, and contributors,” Lovemore says. “Our teachers create lesson plans and are always sure to include Black contributors.” East New York alone is home to a number of thriving Black-owned businesses: juice bar and cafe Brooklyn Blend, soul food spot Fusion East, and men’s clothing store Pat Ernz Apparel, among others. Lovemore has had no trouble finding ways to integrate neighborhood figures into the program curriculum year-round.

BCS’s programs will continue to give kids and teens in Brooklyn an education that is rooted in diversity and inclusion, which means showing students Black experiences of the past and present. As Civil Rights leader John Lewis once said, “Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year…Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.” It is with this sentiment in mind that BCS programs aim to shape future leaders, helping young Brooklynites see the way that Black history is ongoing and all around them.